t  anh  cimee 


OF  THE 


eu.  Wafter  =?lj)l>i6on^ 


X!f^9^ 


Columbia  ^nttier^ttp 

THE  LIBRARIES 


Bequest  of 

Frederic  Bancroft 

1860-1945 


COL.  JOHN  ADDISON. 
From  an  original  portrait  in  the  possession  of  the  family. 


One  ^un^xt\>  ^eare  dRjo 


OR    THE 


Life  and  Times 


OF    THE    REV. 


Walter  Dulany  Addison 


1 769-1848 

COMPILED  FROM  ORIGINAL  PAPERS  IN   POSSESSION 

OF  THE  FAMILY. 

BY    HIS   GRANDDAUGHTER, 

ELIZABETH '•HESiEl.IUS  •  V. aR4\AY 

:    :  : :    :  :  :•;  :*;    .   • 


*  •  •• 
»  •  *  • 


•  • 


•  •  .  •  :      -  ^  •  •.; 


GEO.'w.  JACOBS  &  CO 
1895 


Copyright,  1895,  by  E.  H.  Murray. 


fl)5 


■)r 


*  *   «•  1, 1 


It         t       t    e 


*       t  € 

c      t         • 


»    «    •     < 


t        I         /•      t*<      "• 


«.'  *.  <■ 


PRESS  OF  THE  FRIEDENWALD  CO. 
BALTIMORE,   MD. 


^/6-9/ 


TO 

MY    PASTOR    AND    FRIEND, 

THE  REV.  THOMAS  J.  PACKARD, 

THIS    LITTLE    BOOK 
IS    GRATEFULLY    DEDICATED. 


(preface. 

Gentle  Reader  : 

It  has  been  suggested  to  me  that  my  book  reqinres  a 
Preface^  or  rather  a  woi^d  of  apology  that  /,  who  am  not 
an  author,  should  offer  to  you  a  book  which,  perhaps,  is, 
properly  speaking,  not  even  a  book,  but  simply  a  bundle  of 
relics  of  another  age  that  I  have  bound  together  zvith  the 
slenderest  of  threads.  When  I  confided  my  MSS  some 
time  ago  to  a  literary  friend,  he  said  that  it  was  ''  very 
ijttere sting  material ^  and  a  distinguished  publisher  used  the 
same  expression,  assuring  me,  hozvever,  that  my  ''  material  " 
IV as  ''  valuable  "  and  zuorthy  of  being  publisJied.  Evidently 
this  is  only  the  "  materiar'  of  a  book,  yet  if  you  find  in  it  but 
a  small  portion  of  the  profit,  as  well  as  of  the  enjoyment,  it 
has  afforded  me,  you  will  not  ask  for  a7i  apology. 


3n^trobuc^ton* 


NE  hundred  years  ago,  August  1793,  the  Rev. 
Walter  Dulany  Addison  was  ordained  at  Easton, 
Maryland,  by  the  Right  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Claggett. 
I  propose  to  celebrate  the  centennial  of  this  event, 
so  important  in  the  life  of  the  subject  of  it — and  not  without 
its  influence  on  our  then  infant  Church — by  collecting  in  a 
little  book  the  various  memorials  of  him  that  have  been 
already  published,  adding  to  them  what  other  information  I 
can  gather  from  those  family  letters,  journals  and  writings 
within  my  reach,  which  appear  to  me  to  throw  light  on  tl:e 
history  of  a  life  spent  in  a  singularly  close  and  faithful  fol- 
lowing of  his  Master  and  Lord.  For  he  was  one  of  those 
"holy  and  humble  men  of  heart"  who  have  been  a  bless- 
inor  to  the  earth  in  all  ages:  as  well  in  our  time  as  when 
the  Benedicite  was  first  sung.  No  age  is  so  dark  but  that 
some  such  characters  have  been  found,  to  the  praise  of  God 
and  the  good  of  their  fellow-men.  Generally,  as  in  this 
case,  they  have  led  unobtrusive  lives,  which  spoke  to  an 
evil  world,  as  the  still  small  voice  of  conscience  speaks  to 
an  evil  heart. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1893  that  the  idea  of  writing 
this  memoir  first  occurred  to  me.  The  enthusiasm  which 
has  lately  been  developing  for  Colonial  relics  and  Colonial 
histories  began  to  excite  in  me  a  curiosity  to  examine  the 


viii  3*^^^^^wcticn. 

old  letters  and  papers  in  my  own  possession:  and  I  soon 
found  myself  intensely  interested  in  them.  As  I  read  on, 
the  passion  for  the  past  which  is  in  the  air  took  possession 
of  me,  and  I  became  absorbed  in  the  journals  and  letters 
of  my  great-grand  and  great-great-grandparents,  and  their 
friends  and  relations.  In  the  light  of  these  records  of  their 
daily  life,  their  characters,  and  even  their  persons,  seemed 
to  loom  out  of  the  dim  past  and  to  live  again:  their  various 
occupations,  their  amusements,  even  their  dress,  and  some- 
times, though  more  rarely,  their  graver  thoughts,  religious 
and  political,  were  all  reflected  there.  They  lived  in  that 
transition  period  when  the  old  colonial  civilization  was  cul- 
minating in  the  birth  of  a  new  era,  and  a  new  empire,  and 
yet  they  seem  to  have  been  surprisingly  unconscious  of  the 
importance  of  the  scenes  through  which  they  were  passing, 
little  realizing  the  import  of  the  events  then  happening, 
which,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  they  were  generally  disposed  to 
condemn,  for  most  of  these  old  writers  were  staunch  Tories. 
Among  the  personages  who  live  again  in  these  old 
records,  the  figure  of  my  grandfather  stands  out  in  bold 
relief  (although  there  is  among  them  all  scarcely  a  line  of 
his  own  writing"^),  a  figure  entirely  unique  in  its  simplicity 
and  unworldliness — or  "  other-worldliness,"  as  Sydney 
Smith,  I  think,  calls  it;  a  man  of  great  individuality  and 
strength  of  will,  full  of  zeal,  and  of  remarkable  independence 
of  thought,  who,  having  in  very  early  life  accepted  for  himself 
the  highest  ideal,  pursued  it  with  unwavering  purpose  until 
his  life's  end.    As  I  read,  I  became  possessed  with  the  desire 


*  Since  writing  the  above,  I  have,  through  the  kindness  of  Miss  Whittingham,  seen  a 
number  of  his  letter*,  in  possession  of  the  Diocesan  Library  in  Baltimore ;  some  of  which 
I  have  by  permission  copied,  and  they  will  be  found  in  Part  II  of  this  book. 


3nti:o^uction.  ix 

to  rescue  from  oblivion,  and  preserve  for  his  descendants,  the 
history  of  a  Hfe  so  worthy  of  their  veneration.  But  while  I 
continued  my  work,  this  character,  as  it  has  unfolded  itself 
to  me,  seemed  so  beautiful  in  its  purity  and  singleness  of  pur- 
pose, that  I  have  thought  others  as  well  as  those  for  whom 
I  at  first  intended  it,  might  be  attracted  by  it,  more  especially 
as  the  time  in  which  he  lived,  was  fraught  with  deepest  con- 
sequences to  Church  and  State.  It  was  during  his  childhood 
that  those  causes  were  developed  that  led  to  the  birth  of 
this  new  Empire  in  the  West,  and  to  the  reconstruction  and 
regeneration  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  America. 
When  he  arrived  at  man's  estate,  both  Church  and  State 
were  just  emancipated  from  the  rule  of  the  mother-country; 
and  by  the  years  immediately  ensuing,  their  character  was 
to  be  in  a  large  measure  determined. 

When  we  look  upon  the  grandeur  of  this  country,  so 
clearly  brought  before  us  in  the  Columbian  Exposition,  we 
cannot,  in  view  of  the  stupendous  growth  of  this  mighty 
nation  be  surprised  at  the  passion  that  has  seized  our  people 
to  revive  every  incident  connected  with  its  early  formation, 
and  to  assert  every  individual  claim  of  descent  from  those 
who  took  part  in  its  early  development. 

If  our  interest  is  great  in  the  growth  of  the  State,  it  should 
be  no  less  so  in  that  of  the  Church. 

Those  who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  have  attended  the  last 
General  Convention  of  the  P.  E.  Church  at  Baltimore,  could 
not  fail  to  have  been  greatly  impressed  by  the  dignity  and 
imposing  character  of  the  body  of  men  there  assembled. 
One  could  not  listen  to  the  debates  on  the  important  ques- 
tions submitted  to  them — questions  affecting  the  welfare  of 


the  world  and  the  advancement  of  Christ's  kingdom  among 
men — without  feehng  a  higher  respect  for  human  nature, 
and  for  the  Church  which  these  men  represented. 

It  should  fill  our  hearts  with  wonder  and  praise  to  look 
back  upon  the  feeble  beginnings  from  which  that  Church 
has  been  developed.  The  little  one  has  become  a  thousand; 
and  while  we  rejoice  in  this  growth,  wonderful  as  it  is,  shall 
we  not  remember  gratefully  the  men  who  were  used  of  God 
to  lay  the  foundations  on  which  so  grand  a  ctnicture  has 
been  raised? 

Among  these  men,   WALTER   DULANY  ADDISON 
was  a  diligent  and  faithful  laborer.     His  post  among  the 
builders,   or  perhaps  we  should   say  restorers,   was   a  very 
important  one,  for  the  parish  in  which  he  lived  included  the 
new  seat  of  government.     A  handsome  memorial  window  in 
old  St.  John's  Church,  Georgetown,  now  informs  us  that  he 
"  founded  the  church  in  this  parish  in  the  year  1794."     This 
was  the  year  after  his  ordination.     At  that  time  there  was 
no  Episcopal  church  in  Georgetown,  or  in  the  new  City  of 
Washington.     He  had  another  parish,   but  undertook  the 
work  as  a  missionary.     Nowhere  in  the  country  could  the 
influence  of  a  good  man's  life  have  been  more  important. 
Nearly  fifty  years  have  passed  since  he  entered  into   rest, 
and  few  are  left  who  remember  him — hardly  one  who  ever 
heard  him  preach;  yet  of  his  life  and  work,   a  singularly 
minute  record  is  preserved  in  the  writings  of  others;  not 
only  of  his  life,  but  of  the  early  surroundings  by  which  his 
character  was  doubtless  moulded.     These  are  in  themselves 
interesting  as  belonging  to  the  Old  Colonial  Period,  and  as 
throwing  light  on  the  social  life  of  that  time,  of  late  the  sub- 
ject of  so  much  research. 


3ntro^uc(ton.  xi 

The  chief  sources  from  which  this  work  has  been  compiled 
are  the  unpubHshed  Recollections  of  my  uncle,  the  late  Dr. 
E.  B.  Addison,  written  for  his  children;  copies  of  which  he 
kindly  sent  to  me,  from  time  to  time,  as  they  were  written. 
A  short  sketch  of  his  life,  partly  dictated  to  his  son,  Wm. 
Meade  Addison,  by  my  grandfather  himself.  "  Old  Fam- 
ilies, Ministers  and  Churches,"  by  Bishop  Meade;  and  a  bio- 
graphical sketch  written  by  his  old  friend,  the  Rev.  Ethan 
Allen,  for  Sprague's  "American  Pulpit." 

I  am  also  indebted  to  Mrs.  Commodore  Ridgely's  kind- 
ness for  permission  to  use  the  papers  of  her  grandfather, 
Major  Walter  Dulany. 

E.  H.  M. 

West  River,  Md., 

August,  1893. 


^onttniB 


PART    I. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Annapolis  in  Colonial  Times.  —  Luxurious  Habits  of  the 
Inhabitants.  —  First  Newspaper.  —  First  Theatre  in  the 
Colonies.  —  The  Severn  and  the  Spa.  —  Letter  from 
Rebecca  Dulany  to  her  Sisters.  —  Her  Marriage  to 
Thomas  Addison 3 

CHAPTER  n.      1667-1739. 

Col.  John  Addison.  —  Letters  from  Joseph  Addison  mentioned 
by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boucher.  —  Birth  of  Walter  Dulany 
Addison.  —  The  Old  Dulany  House.  —  Daniel  Dulany's 
Romantic  History,  —  Letter  from  the  Lord  Proprietor 
ON  the  Occasion  of  his  Death.  —  Walter's  Early  Train- 
ing BY  his  Grandmother,  Mary  Grafton  Dulany.  —  Fare- 
well Letter  of  Richard  Grafton  to  his  Daughter,  —  Its 
Influence  on  his  Posterity 13 

CHAPTER  III.     1766-1776. 

State  of  the  Church  in  Annapolis  and  elsewhere,  —  Rev. 
Mr.  Boucher's  Verses.  —  Letters  to  Lord  Bishop  of  London. 
—  Rev.  Mr.  Allen's  Challenge  to  Mr.  Samuel  Chew.  — 
Caned  in  the  Street  by  Daniel  Dulany. —  His  Revenge. — 
The  Tragical  Conclusion  of  the  Affair 27 


xiv  €onten(0. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Death  of  Walter  Uulany.  —  Beginning  of  Sorrows.  —  Death 
OF  Thos.  Addison.  —  Political  Disturbances.  —  Burning  of 
THE  Peggy  Stewart.  —  Disaffected  Citizens  invited  to 
LEAVE.— The  Clergy. — Rev.  Mr.  Boucher's  Experiences. — 
His  Return  to  England. — Dedicates  a  Book  to  General 
Washington 42 

CHAPTER  V.     1774-1783. 

Family  Letters. —  Dulany  Manor  confiscated. —  Letters  from 
the  Refugees  in  London.  —  Peace.  —  Mrs.  Siddons  ...  50 

CHAPTER  VI.     1784-1789. 

Walter  and  his  Brothers  set  sail  for  England. —  Met  in 
London  by  Mr.  Boucher. —  Homespun  Clothes.  —  Put  to 
School. — Epsom. — An  Important  Accident. — Dr.  Barrow's 
School.  —  Return  Voyage.  —  Zeal  without  Discretion. 
—  Fury  of  a  Sailor.  —  Arrival  at  Annapolis     .    .        .72 

CHAPTER  VIL     1784-1789. 

Welcome  Home.  —  Society  at  Annapolis.  —  Elegance  of  the 
Ladies.  —  Entertainments  in  their  Honor.  —  His  Passion 
FOR  Dancing.  —  Misgivings.  —  Meets  Mrs.  Hesselius.  — 
"Primrose." — The  Methodists. — Need  for  Earnest  Men. — 
Resolves  to  enter  the  Ministry.  —  "Laying  aside  every 
weight." 80 

CHAPTER  VIII.     1789-1793- 

Mrs.  Hesselius.  —  "The  Family  Picture."  —  Education  of 
Young   Ladies.  —  Correspondence   between   Major    Dulany 

AND    his     DaUGHIER.   —  THE     FRENCH     OFFICERS.  — A     DOUBLE 

Marriage  at  Primrose 92 


CHAPTER  IX.     1793-1799. 

Ordination.  —  Bishop  Claggett.  —  State  of  the  Church.  — 
Opposition  of  his  Rector.  —  War  against  Fashionable 
Amusements. — Appointed  Rector  of  Queen  Anne's  Parish. 
— Resigns 107 

CHAPTER  X.     1799-1801. 

Accident    to    Mrs.    A.  —  A  Year    in    Annapolis.  —  III   Health. 

—  Arrangements  for  the  Emancipation  of  his  Slaves. — 
Prevailing  Views  of  Slavery.  —  Threatened  War  with 
France. —  Assists  in  building  a  Methodist  Church.  .    ,  121 

CHAPTER  XI.     1803-1809. 

Hart  Park  repurchased.  —  Opens  a  School  there.  —  Made 
Rector  of  Broad  Creek  Parish.  —  Boldness  in  reproving 
Vice.  —  Benevolence.  —  "Little  Tom."  —  War  against 
Duelling. — Mason  and  McCarty. — Mr.  Carr  and  Mr.  Baker. 
— Bishop  Meade's  Account  supplemented  by  Dr.  Addison. — 
Interview  with  Jefferson. — Vigorous  and  Successful  Meas- 
ures.— Description  of  his  Preaching  in  Washington.  .  131 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Home  Life  at  Oxon  Hill.  —  Colonial  Houses. — Dr.  Addison's 
Recollections  of  his  Mother Visit  to  Berkeley  Springs. 

—  Bishop  Meade  studies  with  him. — Death  of  Mrs.  Addison. 

—  His  Grief  and  continued  Remembrance.  —  Dr.  Balch 
visits  him 150 

PART   II. 

.    CHAPTER  XIII.     1809-1817. 

Accepts  a  Call  to  St.  John's,  Georgetown.  —  Historical 
Account  of  St.  John's. — Battle  of  Bladensburg, — Fall  of 
Napoleon.  —  Mr.  Key  appointed  Lay  Reader 163 


xvi  Conttnte, 

CHAPTER  XIV.     1817-1824. 

Trouble  with  his  Eyes.  —  Rev.  Reuel  Keith  appointed  his 
Assistant. — Correspondence  with  Bishop  Kemp. — Requests 
the  Bishop's  Approbation  of  a  Weekly  Service Dis- 
couragements.— His  Resignation,  and  THt:  Appointment  of 
Rev.  Stephen  Tyng  as  his  Successor. —  Rock  Creek. — 
Founding  of  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Alexandria. — 
Christian  Fellowship  with  other  Denominations     .    .  173 

CHAPTER  XV.     1824-1830. 

Threatened  Blindness.  —  Loss  of  Fortune. —  Sale  of  Oxon 
Hill.  —  Success  of  his  Sons.  —  Causes  of  his  Loss  of 
Fortune. — Robert  Morris. — Death  of  his  Son,  Francis  Key. 

—  Of  his  Daughter,  Mrs.  Murray 186 

CHAPTER  XVL     1830-1847. 

Unsuccessful   Operation    on   his    Eyes.  —  Resigns   his   Charge 

—  Description  of  him  at  this  Time. — Ordering  of  his  Time. 

—  Bishop  Meade's  Description  of  him. — His  Fondness  for 
the  Young.  —  Visits  to  his  Friends. — Removal  to  Balti- 
more    195 

CHAPTER  XVn.     The  End. 

His  Last  Days. — Letter  from  W.  M.  A.  to  Rev.  Mr.  Allen. — 
Memorial  in  Southern  Churchman. — Joseph  Addison  and 
Walter  Addison  compared.  —  Bishop  Whittingham's  Tri- 
bute to  his  Memory      207 


&wt  of  JPfue^rafione 


Portrait  of  Col.  John  Addison.     Frontispiece. 
Old  Annapolis 


The  Old  Dulany  Mansion 


.     17 


Dulany  Arms   quartered   with    Smith,  from   the 
Tomb  of  Mrs.  Daniel  Dulany    . 

Portrait  of  Mrs.  Hesselius 

Charlotte  and  Betsy  Hesselius 

Primrose      ...... 

OxoN  Hill  Manor  House 

St.  John's,  Broad  Creek     . 

Stairway  at  Oxon  Hill 

Portrait  of  Rev.  Walter  Dulany  Addison 

St.  John's,  Georgetown 

Addison  Arms,  from  an  old  Tankard 

Genealogical  Chart 


• 

•  19 

•          • 

•  83 

•           • 

•  92 

•        • 

.  96 

•            • 

.  107 

•          • 

•  131 

•          • 

.  150 

SON   . 

.  163 

• 

.  173 

•          • 

•  195 

•          • 

.  216 

^<xt(  U 


CHAPTER  L 


Annapolis  :  The  Birthplace  of  Walter 
DuLANY  Addison, 

O  more  striking  relic  of  the  Old  Colonial  Time 
remains  to  us  than  the  little  city  of  Annapolis.  With 
regard  to  this  name,  we  find  in  an  old  memoir  of 
Dr.  Thos.  Bray  that  "in  1696  the  Secretary  of 
Maryland  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence  with  Mr.  Bray, 
waited  on  the  Princess  Ann  of  Denmark  in  behalf  of  the 
Provinces  to  request  her  gracious  acceptance  of  the  Gov- 
ernors and  Countrys  dutiful  Respects  in  having  denominated 
the  Metropolis  of  the  Province  there  but  lately  built,  from 
her  Royal  Highness's  name  Annapolis,  and  the  latter  being 
soon  after  favored  with  a  noble  benefaction  from  the  same 
Royal  hand  toward  his  Libraries  in  America  he  dedicated 
the  Premier  Library  in  those  Parts  &  which  has  the  choicest 
kind  belonging  to  it  to  the  value  of  400^  to  Her  Glorious 
Memory  by  the  title  of  the  Annapolitan  Library." 

Some   of  these   old   volumes   are   still   preserved   in    the 
library  of  old  St.  John's  College  there. 


4  One  ^un^re^  "Peave  ilgo. 

At  the  date  when  our  history  commences,  1769,  Anna- 
pohs  was  at  the  height  of  its  supremacy  as  the  social  and 
poHtical  center  of  the  colony.  As  it  was  the  birthplace  of 
the  subject  of  this  memoir,  a  glance  at  the  state  of  its  society 
at  that  time  may  not  be  considered  irrelevant.  ^ 

The  Abbe  Robin,  writing  from  Annapolis,  says:  "jnThe 
furniture  of  the  houses  here  is  of  the  costHest  description. 
They  have  light  and  elegant  carriages,  which  are  drawn  by 
fine  horses.  The  coachmen  are  slaves,  and  are  richly 
dressed.  There  appears  to  be  more  wealth  and  luxury  in 
Annapolis  than  in  any  other  city  which  I  have  visited  in  this 
country,  and  the  extravagance  of  the  women  here  surpasses 
that  of  our  Provinces^  A  French  hair-dresser  is  a  man  of 
great  importance.  A  lady  here  pays  hers  a  thousand  crowns 
a  year.  This  little  city,  which  is  at  the  mouth  of  the  Severn, 
contains  several  handsome  edifices.  The  State  House  is 
the  finest  in  this  country.  There  is  also  a  theatre.  The 
climate  is  the  most  delightful  possible." 

About  this  period  a  Jockey  Club  was  instituted,  and  many 
gentlemen  imported  horses  of  high  reputation  at  great  ex- 
pense from  England. 

Annapolis  never  acquired  a  large  population  or  any  great 
degree  of  commercial  importance;  but  long  before  the 
American  Revolution  it  was  conspicuous  as  the  seat  of 
wealth  and  fashion. 

The  EngHsh  Surveyor  of  Customs,   speaking  of  Anna- 

DoHs  (when  writing  to  a  friend  in  England  about  1770),  says: 

\[\  am  persuaded  that  there  is  not  a  town  in  England  of  the 

same  size  which  can  boast  a  greater  number  of  fashionable 

and  handsome  women,  land  were  I  not  satisfied  to  the  con- 


dElnnapoft0.  5 

trary,  I  should  suppose  the  majority  of  the  belles  had  pos- 
sessed every  advantage  of  a  familiar  intercourse  with  the 
manners  of  your  great  metropolis.  In  this  remote  region 
the  phantom  pleasure  is  pursued  with  as  much  avidity  as  on 
your  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  certainly  with  as  much  gratifi- 
cation. Our  races,  just  concluded,  continued  four  days,  and 
surprising  as  it  may  appear,  I  assure  you  there  are  few  meet- 
ings in  England  better  attended  or  where  more  capital 
horses  are  exhibited." 

The  Drama  began  its  life  here,  and  under  the  encourage- 
ment of  the  Royal  Governor  it  attained  a  high  state  of  per- 
fection. The  "Tuesday  Club,"  too,  had  a  wide  reputation 
and  counted  among  its  members  distinguished  men  from  all 
parts  of  the  country. 

In  a  very  interesting  article  in  the  "  Architectural  Record  " 
of  March,  1892,  Mr.  Randall  gives  us  a  charming  account  of 
its  old  colonial  mansions.  He  says  of  it:  "  Certainly,  in  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land  it  was  impossible  to  find 
such  another  miniature  city,  with  all  the  habits  and  tastes 
that  were  common  among  the  aristocracy  of  England." 

It  was  the  seat  of  a  wealthy  government,  and  as  such  con- 
gregated around  it  many  whose  literary  attainments  emi- 
nently qualified  them  for  society.  Its  thought  led  the  mind 
of  the  province,  (^s  Gazette,  which  was  pubhshed  in  1745, 
was  the  first  newsftaper  ever  published  in  this  country .\  The 
first  theatre  in  the  country  was  built  here,  in  the  year  1750, 
by  permission  of  his  Excellency  the  Governor,  Benjamin 
Tasker.  The  Gazette  mentions  that  on  ''  February  7th,  a 
company  of  comedians  arrived  in  town,  and  continued  their 
performances  until  May  following.     Among  the  plays  were 


6  One  ^un^vt^  ^tavQ  il^o. 

*  The  Orphans/  '  Romeo  and  Juhet/  '  The  Jew  of  Venice/ 
&c." 

The  ballroom  and  race-course  added  to  the  reputation  of 
the  inhabitants  for  gaiety.  In  fact,  the  luxurious  habits, 
elegant  accomplishments  and  profuse  hospitality  of  the  An- 
napolitans  were  proverbial  throughout  the  colonies.  Judg- 
ing them  by  their  habitations,  they  were  a  people  of  refined 
and  cultivated  tastes.  Their  houses  are  large,  well  and  solidly 
built;  the  brickwork,  cornices  and  other  details  are  finely 
finished;  but  they  are  externally  without  architectural  pre- 
tension. On  entering  them,  however,  we  find  large  and 
beautifully  proportioned  rooms,  with  doors  of  solid  ma- 
hogany and  sometimes  with  handles  of  silver,  and  very  ele- 
gant mantelpieces  and  stairways.  The  main  room  is  usually 
the  dining-room,  proving  that  a  large  hospitality  was  a 
leading  purpose  in  their  construction.  These  dining-rooms 
usually  open  into  the  gardens,  which  were  very  beautiful 
and  kept  with  great  care  and  skill.  After  dinner  it  was  the 
custom  of  the  guests  to  stroll  out  under  the  shade  of  the 
trees  and  enjoy  the  beauties  of  the  garden  and  of  the  river 
till  tea,  which  was  often  served  under  the  trees.  There  still 
remain  in  some  of  the  old  families  pieces  of  ancient  silver  of 
very  elegant  design  and  workmanship.  In  Dr.  Ridout's 
family  I  have  seen  an  exquisite  piece  which  was  used  as  an 
ornament  for  the  center  of  the  table ;  also  old  Dresden  china 
worthy  to  have  graced  the  collection  of  Queen  Mary  at 
Hampton  Court. 

In  the  matter  of  coaches,  however,  the  love  of  display 
cropped  out  and  seems  to  have  been  unrestrained.  The 
coaches  were  imported  from  England,  with  the  horses  and 


ilnnaj?oft0.  7 

liveries.  I  have  heard  that  some  of  the  panels  on  which  the 
escutcheons  were  emblazoned  are  still  preserved  as  relics  of 
a  gorgeous  past.  Dr.  Ridout  once  told  me  that  his  father 
remembered  when  six  coaches-and-six  were  kept  in  the 
town;  and  it  was  not  the  style  for  the  grandees  to  appear 
with  less  than  four. 

With  the  surrounding  country  abounding  in  game  and 
the  waters  of  the  Chesapeake  with  oysters,  ducks  and  terra- 
pin, it  was  not  difficult  to  maintain  a  bountiful  hospitality; 
and  in  this  respect  they  appear  to  have  fully  availed  them- 
selves of  their  advantages.  The  lovely  Severn  river,  the 
high  banks  of  which  remind  one  of  a  miniature  Hudson, 
widens,  a  few  miles  from  the  town,  into  a  beautiful  sheet  of 
water  called  Round  Bay,  where  lovely  scenery  as  well  as 
abundance  of  fish  invited  the  angler  to  indulge  his  favorite 

pastime. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  town  the  "  Spa  "  winds  past  fine 
old  mansions  with  terraced  gardens;  among  them  Carroll- 
ton,  the  seat  of  Charles  Carroll,  and  in  front  of  the  city  the 
Severn  loses  itself  in  the  blue  waters  of  the  broad  Chesa- 
peake. Everything,  therefore,  combined  to  make  boating 
and  sailing  attractive.  The  gentlemen  kept  their  sail-boats 
as  the  ladies  did  their  coaches,  and  many  pleasant  excursions 
were  made  to  the  country-seats  of  friends  on  the  Eastern 
Shore  and  in  St.  Mary's ;  but  very  inferior,  however,  to  the 
yachts  of  to-day  were  these  sail-boats,  and  if  the  voyage 
lasted  all  night,  which  it  frequently  did,  the  accommodations 
were  but  scanty. 

One  of  these  expeditions  is  pleasantly  described  by  Re- 
becca Dulany  in  a  letter  to  her  sisters. 


8  One  ^unUt'i)  ^tav&  il^o. 

Letter  from    Rebecca  Dulany  to   her  sisters   Molly,  Peggy 

mid  Kitty. 

,,    „        ^.  ,  Thursday, /?/?^^  4th,  1764. 

My  Dear  Girls :  j  ^         t    >    /   -r 

I  have  received  your  letters  and  am  very  glad  to  hear  you 
have  spent  your  time  so  agreeably  since  I  left  you.  I  hope 
you  will  excuse  my  writing  you  all  in  one  letter,  but  I  have 
so  little  time  to  write  in,  that  I  am  obliged  to  do  it.  In  the 
first  place  we  went  off  mighty  well,  but  about  twelve  it  grew 
quite  calm,  and  we  were  kept  all  night  upon  the  Water. 
There  were  two  beds  in  the  cabin.  Uncle  Young  took  one 
and  I  the  other,  and  Mr.  Wolstenholme  and  Mr.  Potts  lay 
under  the  forecastle  of  the  boat  and  slept  very  soundly,  they 
both  said. 

The  wind  came  up  fresh,  about  one  o'clock  at  night,  and 
we  landed  at  Rousby  Hall  about  seven  o'clock.  Now,  I 
suppose  Mollie  will  envy  me  my  happiness  when  I  tell  her 
how  much  I  have  had  of  George  Fitzhugh's  company.  As 
soon  as  we  had  done  breakfast  Ben  Potts  went  home,  and 
Mrs.  Plater,  the  two  Miss  Tayloes,  George  Fitzhugh  and 
myself,  went  upstairs  where  we  were  very  merry  as  you  may 
judge  by  the  company,  for  Miss  Tayloe  is  fully  as  lively  and 
diverting  as  George  Fitzhugh.  We  dined  at  Colonel  Fitz- 
hugh's and  after  dinner  we  all  set  off  to  Colonel  Plater's  in 
Col.  Tayloe's  vessel  and  got  there  to  tea.  After  tea  the 
young  ladies  played  on  the  guitar,  and  sung  for  us,  and 
then  we  took  a  long  walk  in  the  garden,  and  after  that,  we 
had  the  guitar  again,  and  a  great  deal  of  Mr.  Fitzhugh's 
company.  I  never  saw  him  in  better  spirits,  or  appear  to 
be  happier.     What  contributes  much  to  his  happiness  is  the 


company  of  Miss  Betsy  Tayloe.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at,  for  she  is  a  very  fine,  agreeable  young  lady.  Perhaps, 
Molly,  you  may  think  I  have  said  all  this  to  tease  you,  but 
upon  my  word  I  am  in  earnest,  and  if  you  had  seen  them  as 
much  as  I  have  you  would  have  given  him  over  for  lost, 
and  I  would  have  you  provide  another  string  to  your  bow, 
for  I  am  certain  you  stand  not  the  slightest  chance  with  him. 
We  spent  a  very  merry  evening  and  in  the  morning  uncle 
Young,  and  I  got  up  early  and  came  here.  We  found  Mrs. 
Lowe  and  Aunt  Young  at  Breakfast,  and  Miss  Betsy 
Brooke,  an  old  virgin,  with  them.  We  were  invited  next 
day  to  Mrs.  Plater's  to  her  little  boy's  Christening.  I  went, 
but  Aunt  Young  could  not  leave  the  old  Virgin,  and  so  was 
disappointed.  I  never  saw  a  handsomer  entertainment. 
There  was  a  good  deal  of  company  and  we  were  extremely 
merry.  I  stayed  all  night.  Next  day  we  were  invited  to 
Col.  Barnes'  to  dinner,  but  only  Mrs.  Tayloe,  Betsy  and 
myself  went.  We  all  rid  together  in  Col.  Plater's  chariot 
and  four.  Theres  for  you  my  girls !  When  will  any  of  you 
have  such  an  honor?  Though  my  lady  Ogle,  I  beg  your 
pardon:  I  dare  say  you  have  vanity  enough  to  expect  to 
have  one  of  your  own,  though  for  my  part  I'm  much  afraid 
I  shall  never  have  the  honor  to  ride  in  my  sister's  chariot: 
though  there  have  more  unlikely  things  happened.  We 
had  a  very  genteel  dinner,  and  a  great  deal  of  merry  conver- 
sation. G.  F.  was  with  us.  We  stayed  to  tea.  Mrs.  Tayloe 
and  Betsy  went  to  Col.  Plater's,  and  I  came  home  to  aunt 
Young.  Tuesday  we  had  a  good  many  gentlemen  to  din- 
ner but  I  shall  not  tell  you  who  they  were  .  .  . 

Miss  Becky,  the  author  of  this  gay  letter,  was  the  eldest 


of  the  sisters,  and  could  not  have  been  more  than  fifteen 
when  it  was  written. 

Two  years  after  we  find  the  following  letter  to  her  father, 
from  a  disconsolate  lover,  who  afterwards  became  her  hus- 
band: 

OxoN  Hill,  Potomack,  May  30th,  1766. 

To  Walter  Dulany,  Esq. 
Most  Kind  Sir : 

^ly  present  condition  will  no  longer  allow  me  to  remain 
in  silence. 

How  fain  would  I  utter  the  tender  feelings  of  my  opprest 
heart. 

Permit  me  with  gratitude  and  sincerity  to  return  you 
thanks  for  your  candid  and  compassionate  letter  in  answer 
to  mine — wrote  you  when  I  was  in  Annapolis — where  you 
generously  expressed  your  sentiments  and  acquainted  me 
with  your  objections.  Your  remarks  are  very  just  and 
show  the  tender  parent.  But  though  your  daughter  is 
young,  she  may  have  as  much  prudence  as  one  of  more 
years:  however  I  could  wait  with  the  greatest  pleasure  in 
hopes  of  a  future  reward.  If  you  have,  however,  other  ob- 
jections, I  must  desist  and  submit  to  my  illfortune.  If  I 
had  succeeded  agreeably  to  my  wishes  I  did  not  purpose 
bringing  matters  to  bear  for  some  considerable  time:  till  I 
had  discharged  the  duty  and  trust  that  was  imposed  on  me 
as  Executor  to  the  estate  of  my  late  father. 

My  desires  are  very  great,  to  have  a  nearer  Alliance"^  with 

*The  mother  of  Mr.  Dulany,  and  Mr.  Addison's  grandmother,  Rebecca 
and  Eleanor  Smith,  were  sisters. 


cEnnapofte.  ii 

your  family,  where  I  have  observed  to  reign  Harmony, 
Peace,  and  Contentment.  The  Parents  glory  in  their  Chil- 
dren and  the  Children  rejoice  in  their  parents:  both  seem 
happy  in  each  other.  May  uninterrupted  happiness  con- 
tinue with  you. 

If  I  could  be  admitted  in  your  Family  as  one  of  them  I 
should  be  satisfied. 

I  have  discovered  in  your  Daughter  an  affability,  and 
sweetness  of  temper,  which  will  not  fail  to  make  the  man 
happy  who  will  have  the  good  fortune  to  possess  her,  who- 
ever he  may  be.  My  prayer  is  that  he  may  be  worthy  of 
her.  If  I  thought  it  would  disturb  the  peace  of  mind  and 
contentment  she  enjoys,  I  would  rather  submit  to  the  pres- 
ent load  of  affliction  that  now  hangs  upon  me,  and  labor 
under  it  through  life  than  to  interrupt  her  happiness. 

My  prayers  and  wishes  shall  always  attend  you  and  your 
family.  May  you  be  happy  all  your  days,  and  live  to  see 
your  Children's  Children  flourish  and  prosper  around  you! 
Which  no  one  can  more  sincerely  wish  than,  Sir, 

Y'r  most  obliged  h'ble  servant, 

Thomas  Addison,  Jr. 

In  the  Annapolis  Gazette,  December,  1767,  we  find  the 
following  entry: 

"  On  Monday  evening  last  Thomas  Addison  to  Rebecca 
Dulany,  eldest  daughter  of  Walter  Dulany  Esq.  an  agreeable 
young  lady  possessed  of  many  amiable  qualities." 

He  died  young,  and  we  know  little  of  him,  except  that  my 
uncle  says  "  during  his  life  a  good  deal  of  state  was  kept  up 


12  One  TEfun^v^'^  ^tavs  ilgo. 

at  Oxon  Hill.  His  style  on  the  road  was  a  coach  and  four, 
with  outriders.  I  have  heard  my  father  speak  of  the  superb 
English  coach  horses,  (I  remember  the  names  of  two:  Pop- 
pet and  Eden)  and  also  of  the  fine  London  built  coach  and 
liveried  servants." 

To  the  kindness  of  Mr.  H.  M.  Fitzhugh  I  am  indebted  for 
the  following  letter  to  his  mother: 

To  Miss  Molly  Dulany,  at  Mt.  Airy. 

M}'  Dear  Girl : 

I  am  instructed  and  commanded  by  my  Lady,  to  write  to 
you  which  I  have  very  readily  &  cheerfully  undertaken,  as 
it  always  renders  me  a  pleasure  to  have  any — the  least  con- 
nection or  intercourse  with  one  to  whom  I  am  so  warmly 
and  cordially  attached:  this  by  way  of  Preface,  now^  to  pro- 
ceed— it  seems  that  there  has  been  an  appointment  betwixt 
you  &  Becky  to  have  a  meeting  at  Mr.  Bouchers:  this  will 
be  impracticable — My  Mother,  being  much  indisposed  has 
desired  my  sister  not  to  leave  her — &  as  my  Sister  can- 
not be  at  Home,  Becky  &  myself  intend  to  do  ourselves 
the  Pleasure  of  coming  to  Mr  Calverts  Tomorrow — to 
which  place  She  has  long  had  an  inclination  to  go,  but 
doubly  so  now,  to  see  both  them  &  you,  &  I  need  not  tell 
you  that  this  is  my  case  also — I  want  much  to  say  more  to 
you  but  must  decline  it,  as  its  late  &  the  Boy  is  waiting 
Becky  &  our  little  ones  join  in  love  to  you — &  Respectful 
Compliments  to  Mr  &  Mrs  Calvert  &  Family — 

yrs  Sincerely  &  affectionately 

Thos.  Addison. 
Friday  Eve,  May  7th,  '73- 


CHAPTER  II. 

His  Birthplace  and  Ancestors. 
1667-1739. 

OL.  JOHN  ADDISON,  the  great-grandfather  of 
Thomas  Addison,  came  to  this  country  from  Eng- 
land in  the  year  1667.  He  was  brother  to  Laun- 
celot  Addison,  Dean  of  Litchfield — father  of  the 
celebrated  Joseph  Addison.  He  also  had  a  brother  An- 
thony, Rector  of  Abingdon  and  Chaplain  to  the  Duke  of 
Marlborough.  In  an  old  note-book  of  his  grandson  (the 
Rev.  Henry  Addison),  which  he  kept  while  in  England,  is 
the  following  entry,  in  1777-8: 

"  St.  Helen's  Church  at  Abingdon  is  a  spacious  and  hand- 
some building,  in  the  Gothic  style  and  decently  ornamented. 
My  great-uncle,  Anthony  Addison,  B.  D.,  Rector  of  this 
Church,  died  in  1719  and  lies  buried  here  under  the  altar." 

His  brother  Launcelot  is  buried  in  the  Cathedral  of  Litch- 
field. Over*  a  door  is  to  be  seen  the  Addison  arms,  together 
with  that  of  a  noble  lady  who  gave  the  money  to  restore  the 
cathedral. 

Mr.  Boucher,  in  an  article  written  for  the  "  Historia  Cum- 
briensis,"  tells  us  that  he  had  seen,  while  in  Maryland,  "  sun- 
dry letters  in  the  possession  of  Rev.  Henry  Addison,  from 
Joseph  Addison  to  his  ancestor,  in  which  were  frequent  allu- 
sions to  their  being  of  one  family." 


14  One  J^untvzt  '^eate  dElgo. 

Mr.  Boucher  goes  on  to  say:  "  That  branch,  which  went  to 
Maryland,  became  of  note  and  still  are  so.  They  possess  a 
noble  estate  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomack,  opposite  Alex- 
andria and  contiguous  to  the  new  Federal  City,  now  build- 
ing there  on  a  large  scale.  The  family  has  long  been  dis- 
tinguished for  their  strong  sense,  fine  taste  and  humour  and 
exquisite  style  in  writing.  The  Rev.  Henry  Addison  was 
allowed  to  excel  all  his  contemporaries  at  Queen's,  in  the 
writing  of  good  Latin.  Taking  the  side  of  the  Government 
in  the  late  confusions,  which  overturned  the  constitution  of 
his  country,  he  had  the  fortitude,  though  at  an  advanced 
age,  to  turn  his  back  upon  it  with  the  indignant  sentiment 
of  the  editor  of  Scipio,  '  Ingrata  terra !  ne  ossa  quidem  ha- 
beas,' and  returned  to  this  kingdom  with  a  friend  and  rela- 
tion who  now  feels  a  melancholy  satisfaction  in  thus  paying 
a  last  faithful  though  feeble  tribute  of  affection  to  a  man  of 
great  worth,  whose  memory  he  will  ever  honor.  His  saltern 
accumulem  donis  et  fungar  inani  munere." 

In  common  with  his  family  in  England,  John  Addison 
was  a  Whig  in  politics,  and  w^e  find  his  signature  on  an 
address  of  congratulation  to  King  William.  "  He  was  a 
Privy  Councillor  of  the  intruding  Government  introduced 
by  the  Protestant  Revolution."  "  In  1692  he  was  member 
of  his  IMajesties  Council "  and  presiding  Judge  of  Charles 
County.  He  also  distinguished  himself  in  the  encounters 
of  the  colonists  with  the  Indians,  and  was  appointed  colonel 
of  the  "  Military'  Establishment  of  the  Colony." 

This  redoubtable  warrior  and  councillor  was  taken  cap- 
tive some  years  after  his  arrival  in  this  country  by  the  charms 
of  the  Widow  Dent.     Their  marriage  occurred,  I  regret  to 


(§ivt^iphu  an^  cEnce0ior0.  15 

say,  little  more  than  a  year  after  the  death  of  her  first  hus- 
band, but  the  many  honors  and  attractions  of  the  colonel 
may  serve  to  account  for  her  want  of  devotion  to  the  mem- 
ory of  the  lamented  Mr.  Thomas  Dent.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  William  Wilkinson. 

From  an  article  in  Sprague's  "  American  Pulpit "  I  copy 
the  following  sketch  of  him  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Allen: 

*'  The  Rev.  William  Wilkinson,  with  his  wife,  his  two 
daughters  and  some  indentured  servants,  in  all  nine  persons, 
left  the  land  of  his  fathers  and  crossed  the  ocean  to  plant 
himself  here.  Mr.  W.  came  not  to  an  endowed  church  or  to 
a  people  capable  of  supporting  him.  He  was  the  first 
clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England  who  had  come  to  the 
Province,  though  it  had  been  settled  sixteen  years.  There 
were,  however,  at  this  time  several  rude  places  of  worship, 
•built  of  logs  from  the  forest.  They  were  located  not  far 
from  the  water-side,  for  the  settlers  all  chose  their  residences 
on  the  banks  of  some  or  other  of  the  beautiful  creeks  and 
rivers  which  served  them  as  highways.  These  places  of 
w^orship  had  lay-readers,  by  whom  the  service  of  the  Church 
of  England  was  performed  and  sermons  were  read." 

Mr.  Wilkinson  received  a  grant  of  nine  hundred  acres  for 
the  nine  persons  brought  into  the  colony,  and  later  we  find 
that  he  took  up  11,000  morg.     Mr.  Allen  continues: 

"  He  early  created  an  interest  in  himself  and  his  ministry, 
which  was  shown  by  the  legacies  left  him  and  the  church. 
He  acquired  a  character  which  caused  his  appointment  as 
the  guardian  of  the  orphan,  and  his  house  became  the  home 
of  the  sick  and  the  dying.  In  his  will,  still  on  record,  he 
says:  'Imprimis — I  give  my  soul  to  God  and  my  body  to 


i6  One  35wnt»re^  'XjtavQ  JI50. 

the  earth  whence  it  came,  with  humble  confidence  that  both 
body  and  soul  shall  at  the  Resurrection  receive  a  happy 
reunion  and  be  made  partakers  of  that  happiness  which  is 
purchased  by  my  blessed  Redeemer  Jesus  Christ  the 
Righteous.'  Such  were  the  hopes  of  this  veteran  pioneer  of 
the  Church  among  the  scattered  poor,  in  this  then  savage 
and  benighted  land." 

It  was  very  probably  through  the  influence  of  this  good 
man  that  Col.  Addison  became  leading  commissioner  in 
establishing  St.  John's  Parish,  Marvdand,  and  in  building 
Broad  Creek  Church,  of  which  the  Rev.  Walter  D.  Addison 
was  afterwards  rector.  He  was  also  a  large  subscriber  and 
one  of  the  Trustees  to  King  William's  School,  at  that  time 
about  to  be  established  as  a  free  school.  Returning  to 
England  on  business,  he  died  intestate,  "  leaving  consider- 
able wealth  there,  besides  a  very  large  landed  estate  in  this^ 
country,"  which  was  afterwards  increased  and  improved  by 
his  only  son  Thomas,  who  also  became  of  great  influence  in 
the  colony  and  in  the  Church.  "  He  was  Colonel  of  the 
militia,  and  Privy  Councillor  from  1721  to  1727  and  Visitor 
of  the  Free  Schools.  He  married  first,  Elizabeth  Tasker,  by 
whom  he  had  two  daughters,  Rebecca  and  Eleanor;  sec- 
ondly, Eleanor,  daughter  of  Col.  Walter  Smith,  and  sister  of 
Mrs.  Daniel  Dulany,  by  whom,  he  had  a  daughter  and  four 
sons,  who  wxre  educated  at  Lowther,  England,  under  the 
tuition  of  Mr.  Wilkinson,  one  of  the  first  scholars  of  his 
age."  His  eldest  son,  John,  inherited  the  largest  part  of  his 
estate  and  married  Miss  Susanah  Wilkinson.  They  had  two 
sons,  Thomas  and  John,  and  two  daughters,  Ann,  married 
to  Mr.  Carr,  and  Eleanor,  to  Rev.  Jonathan  Boucher. 


H 
X 
m 


o 

c 
r- 
> 
Z 
-< 


> 

z 

o 

z 


,-     ^    .VI     : 
C      '*'      ■  Ji  ? 


'  li^: 


Q^ivtgpCace  an^  ilnceetore,  i/ 

WALTER  DULANY  ADDISON,  the  eldest  son  of 
Thomas  Addison  and  Rebecca  Dulany,  was  born  at  Anna- 
poHs,  January  ist,  1769,  at  the.  home  of  his  maternal  grand- 
parents, Walter  and  Mary  Grafton  Dulany,  and  as  Rev.  Mr. 
Boucher  was  the  rector  of  St.  Anne's  he  was  doubtless  bap- 
tized by  him.  Many  persons  now  living  can  remember 
"  the  old  Dulany  house,"  with  its  beautiful  gardens  extend- 
ing to  the  water's  edge.  It  was  built  for  Daniel  Dulany  by 
an  architect  named  Duff,  who  came  to  this  country  in  1728. 
It  was  sold  to  the  government,  with  seven  acres  of  ground, 
in  1808  by  the  executors  of  Major  Walter  Dulany. 

The  following  extract  is  from  the  "  Ancient  City  "  by  Riley: 
"  In  1883  one  of  the  landmarks  of  the  State  fell.  It  was 
built  by  Daniel  Dulany  and  was  the  residence  of  a  talented 
family  till  1808.  In  1883  Captain  Ramsay,  the  Superinten- 
dent of  the  Naval  Academy,  had  it  torn  down  to  build  a 
more  modern  residence  for  the  Commandant.  Congress, 
which  had  refused  money  for  this  purpose,  resented  the 
action  and  declared  no  money  should  be  used  to  complete 
the  offensive  structure.  There  it  remained  till  the  end  of 
the  term  of  the  offending  superintendent,  a  monument  of 
autocratic  independence  and  congressional  indignation." 
The  present  structure  is  said  to  be  built  as  nearly  as  possible 
on  the  old  plan  and  with  the  old  brick.  As  Daniel  Dulany 
was  a  very  prominent  figure  in  the  colony  in  his  day,  and  as 
his  early  history  is  not  without  a  certain  romance,  perhaps  a 
little  sketch  of  him  may  be  interesting. 

"  He  was  a  student  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  when  a 
quarrel  with  his  stepmother  induced  his  father  to  withdraw 
his  allowance,  and  he  was  compelled  to  seek  his  fortune  in 


the  new  world.  To  defray  the  expense  of  his  passage  he 
indentured  himself  to  the  captain  for  the  cost  of  the  trip, 
and  was  transferred  on  his.  arrival  in  Maryland  to  Col. 
George  Plater,  Attorney-General  of  the  Province,  who  soon 
discovered  that  he  was  well  educated  and  a  gentleman,  and 
made  him  his  clerk.  He  afterwards  studied  law  in  Col. 
Plater's  ofhce.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Provincial  Bar  in 
1710,  and  as  a  student  of  Law  at  Gray's  Inn,  London,  Feb- 
ruary, 1 716.  On  his  return  to  this  country  he  married  a 
daughter'of  Gov.  Plater,  and  after  her  death  Rebecca  Smith, 
daughter  of  Col.  Walter  Smith.  For  nearly  forty  years  he 
held  the  first  place  in  the  confidence  of  the  Proprietary  and 
in  the  affections  of  the  people.  During  that  period  he  held 
the  various  offices  of  Alderman,  City  Councilman,  and  Re- 
corder of  iVnnapolis,  Attorney-General,  Judge  of  the  Ad- 
miralty, Commissary-General,  Receiver-General,  and  Coun- 
cillor of  the  Province,  which  latter  post  he  held  under  the 
administrations  of  Governors  Bladen,  Ogle,  and  Sharpe. 
He  was  also  for  several  years  leader  of  the  country  party  in 
the  Lower  House.  He  died  1753,  and  his  second  wife's 
tomb  (erected  by  himself  and  bearing  his  escutcheon  quar- 
tered with  Smith)  may  be  seen  in  the  churchyard  at  An- 
napolis." It  is,  however,  so  obscured  by  age  that  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  that  this  copy  was  made.  The  same 
arms  are  engraved  on  an  old  waiter  in  the  possession  of  Mrs. 
Robert  Gushing,  of  Boston. 


r 


HERE  LIES  THE  REMAINS  OF 

REBECCA  LATE  WIFE  OF 

DANIEL  DULANY  OF  ANNAPOLIS  ESQ 

AND  FOURTH  DAUGHTER  OF  COLONEL 

WALTER   SMITH.     SHE  FAITHFULLY 

AND  DILIGENTLY  DISCHARGED  HER 

DUTY  IN  ALL  RELATIONS  OF  A  DAUGHTER 

A  WIFE,  A   MOTHER,  A   FRIEND  AND 

A  NEIGHBOUR.     SHE  WAS  VIRTUOUS 

AND  CHARITABLE  WITHOUT  AFFECTATION 

SHE   LIVED  AN   UNBLEMISHED  LIFE 

AND  DIED   UNIVERSALLY  LAMENTED 

THE  i8th  of  MARCH   1737 

AGED  41  YEARS. 


20  ^ne  ^un'i>vtt  Tjtav^  il^o. 

The  following  epitaph  was  found  among  the  papers  of  his 
son  Daniel: 

071  the  Hon.  Daniel  Dulany. 

One  of  his  Lordship's  Council,  Commissary  General,, 
and  formerly  Attorney  General,  and  Judge  of  the  Court  of 
Admiralty,  in  the  province  of  Alaryland.  In  the  discharge 
of  each  of  these  offices,  he  w^as  conspicuous  for  his  assiduity,, 
uprightness,  and  ability.  But  the  first,  gave  him  more 
ample  scope  for  the  exertion  of  his  benevolent  disposition 
and  unblemished  integrity.  To  the  widow  and  orphan,  he 
w^as  ever  a  powerful  protector,  and  the  ignorant,  he  advised 
with  clearness  and  condescension.  To  the  schemes  of  de- 
signing men,  he  was  an  unrelenting  enemy,  and  to  the 
simple  and  oppressed,  a  firm  and  persevering  friend.  His 
conduct  in  every  public  station,  every  good  citizen  w^ould 
wish  his  successor  to  imitate.  He  was  equalled  by  few  in 
ability,  and  excelled  by  none,  in  integrity.  In  all  the  duties 
of  a  private  character,  wdiat  he  w^as,  how  amiable  as  a  hus- 
band and  father,  a  friend  and  a  master,  is  remembered  with 
the  deepest  sorrow,  that  cannot  be  described. 

Tlie  Lord  Proprietor  to  Walter  Dulany,  Esq. 

London,  Apl.  17th,  1754. 
Sir,  yours  of  7th  brings  Concern  for  the  death  of  yV 
father.  The  Proprietor,  and  Province,  have  lost  a  real  and 
able  friend  as  beneficial  to  both,  by  his  Public  and  Private 
abilities.  There  is  lasting  gain  of  Reputation  to  his  Pos- 
terity, his  life  being  always  employed  in  something  Im- 
mortal. 


Q0irt§pface  an^  ilnceetovs,  21 

In  my  letter  to  yr  father,  I  complied  with  your  request  in 
favor  of  your  brother  Mr.  Dennis  Dulany  to  the  clerkship 
of  Kent,  on  Vacancy  by  death  of  Mr.  James  Smith. 

Yrs  sincerely 

Cecils  Calvert. 

His  family  name  was  originally  Delany,  and  farther  back 
deLaune.  There  is  in  the  family  a  letter  from  Dean  Pat- 
rick Delany,  his  cousin,  asking  why  he  had  altered  his  name. 
The  response  is  not  known.  Perhaps  he  thought  himself 
ill-treated  by  his  family,  and  resolved  in  the  new  world  to 
make  a  new  name  for  himself. 

He  left  four  sons,  Daniel,  Walter,  Dennis,  and  Lloyd. 
Walter  Dulany  succeeded  his  father  as  Commissary-Gen- 
eral. Walter  Dulany  Addison  was  named  for  his  grand- 
father, and  being  the  eldest  grandchild,  as  well  as  the  eldest 
son  and  heir  of  his  father,  his  arrival  was  quite  an  important 
event  in  the  family.  Other  grandchildren,  however,  speedily 
followed,  and  this  one  seems  to  have  been  taken  possession 
of  by  his  grandmother  when  little  more  than  a  year  old,  and 
his  earliest  years  were  spent  under  her  care.  To  her  he 
attributed  his  first  religious  impressions.  He  well  remem- 
bered a  switching  he  once  received  from  her  for  telling  her  a 
lie.  This  he  never  forgot,  and  my  uncle  says  "  I  believe  that 
was  the  last  departure  from  the  rigid  truth  that  he  ever  was 
known  to  make  from  lisping  childhood  to  tottering  age." 

As  her  letters  form  quite  a  prominent  part  of  this  history, 
perhaps  a  little  sketch  of  his  grandmother  Dulany  may  not 
be  inappropriate  here.  She  was  the  center  of  a  happy 
household,  most  tenderly  loved  and  reverenced  by  all,  but 


22  One  ^Mn^vt"^  ^tavQ  cEgo. 

her  character  will  be  best  shown  in  her  letters,  enough  of 
which  will  appear  in  another  chapter  to  show  how  charming 
she  must  have  been. 

The  first  of  these  which  has  descended  to  her  posterity 
was  preserved  by  her  father  and  is  written  in  the  most  beau- 
tiful handwriting.     It  gives  some  idea  of  the  prim  manners 

of  that  day. 

Philadelphia,  MarcJi  30th,  1739. 

Hono2Lrcd  Sir  : 

Since  my  coming  up,  I  have  entered  with  Mr.  Hackett 
to  improve  my  Dancing,  and  hope  to  make  such  Progress 
therein,  as  may  answer  to  the  Expense,  and  enable  me  to 
appear  well  in  any  Polite  Company.  The  great  Desire  I  have 
of  pleasing  you,  will  make  me  the  more  Assiduous  in  my 
undertaking:  and  should  I  arrive  at  any  degree  of  Perfection 
it  must  be  attributed  to  the  Liberal  Education  you  bestow 
on  me. 

I  am  with  the  greatest  Respect  Dear  Pappa 

Yr  dutiful  Daughter 
Mary  Grafton. 
To  Richard  Grafton,  Esq., 

New  Castle,  Delaware. 

Among  the  papers  of  Richard  Grafton,  whose  daughter 
married  the  Hon'ble  Walter  Dulany,  was  also  found  this  let- 
ter, which  has  carefully  been  preserved  and  handed  down 
from  mother  to  son  for  four  generations,  and  which  doubt- 
less has  had  a  powerful  influence  in  forming  the  religious 
character  of  the  descendants  of  this  good  man  and  tender 
father : 


To  be  delivered  after  my  DeatJi. 

Newcastle,  Sept.  3rd,  1737. 
Dear  Polly  Grafton  : 

My  Dear,  dearly  and  well  beloved  Daughter,  now  this 
has  come  to  your  hand,  you  know  I  shall  never  write  to  you 
or  C0nverse  with  you  again,  for  now  your  "  dear  Father"  is 
no  more:  no  more  to  delight  himself  in  your  dear  Company, 
no  more  to  solace  himself  in  hopes  of  your  Happiness,  no 
more  with  pleasure  to  behold,  your  sweet  Disposition  and 
temper  of  mind,  no  more  to  assist  and  instruct  you  in  im- 
proving yourself  in  those  Qualifications,  which  may  tend  to 
your  advantage  both  here  and  Hereafter. 

And  now  it  has  pleased  God  to  take  me  from  you,  I  re- 
turn Him  my  most  humble  and  hearty  thanks,  for  all  His 
manifold  Blessings,  and  Mercies,  bestowed  upon  me, 
throughout  the  whole  course  of  my  Pilgrimage  in  this 
world:  trusting  that  He  will  always  be  with  you,  to  guide, 
govern,  protect  and  prosper  you.  That  He  will  keep  you 
from  all  Evils  that  poor  mortals  fall  into,  and  from  Sin, 
which  is  hateful  in  the  sight  of  the  Holy  God  who  is  of  purer 
eyes  than  to  behold  Iniquity.  I  do  most  earnestly  recom- 
mend to  you,  the  strict  observance  of  yr  Duty,  to  God,  to 
Yourself,  and  your  Neighbor:  the  particulars  of  which  you 
will  find  laid  down  in  the  "Whole  Duty  of  Man"  and  the 
other  writings  of  that  pious  and  learned  Author,  whose 
works  I  have  in  i  volume,  and  do  this  day  fully  and  abso- 
lutely, give  to  you.  Oh,  my  dear  Polly!  I  do  from  my  own 
Experience  assure  you,  that  no  Pleasure  in  the  world,  is  to 
be  Compared  to  that  of  a  good  Conscience;  though  a  great 


24  One  'gun^te^  '^eare  ilgo. 

many  have  no  desire  but  for  the  riches,  honours,  and  pleas- 
ures of  this  World.  These  are  good  things — the  true  and 
right  Enjoyment  of  them  is  a  great  Blessing — but  they  are 
only  to  be  ver>^  Cautiously  used.  They  are  Dangerous 
things;  and  therefore  I  advise  you  strictly  to  watch  over 
yourself  concerning  them,  and  never  to  be  so  vain,  as  to 
imagine  that  happiness  consists  in  a  full  enjoyment  of 'them 
without  Restriction.  No.  No.  They,  that  are  wholly 
given  to  those  Pleasures  are  Dead  while  they  live.  Dead  to 
the  life  of  grace:  Dead  to  the  sweets  of  a  beneficent  mind 
and  charitable  hand:  dead  to  the  most  ravishing  delights 
resulting  from  the  exercise  of  the  duties  of  Religion,  whose 
hopes  will  be  too  faint  and  weak,  to  afford  that  comfort,  and 
Consolation,  which  good  men  feel  at  the  hour  of  Death. 

My  dear  Polly,  at  my  writing,  you  are  with  y'r  good 
friends  Mr  Plumstead  in  Philadelphia,  whom  I  desire  you  to 
look  upon  as  a  father  and  Mrs  P  as  a  mother.  Such  real 
friends  as  these  'twas  that  induced  me  to  spare  you,  so  long 
from  me,  'twas  a  great  Denial  to  me,  but  the  consideration 
that  it  was  for  y'r  Benefit  forced  me  to  compliance. 

My  dear  Child,  you  have  a  Bountiful,  good  and  gracious 
God  on  whom  you  may  safely  Rely. 

You  will  find  herewith,  a  deed  of  gift  of  Plate,  and  other 
things,  which  I  gave  you  after  y'r  recovery  from  smallpox, 
and  as  they  are  yours,  and  no  part  of  my  Estate,  they  are  not 
to  be  mentioned  or  appraised  with  it. 

My  dear  Polly,  I  have  Experienced  y'r  mother's  tender 
concern  for  your  Welfare.  I  hope  you  will  always  find  her 
very  just  and  Affectionate  to  you,  and  that  you  will  always 
behave  to  her,  with  great  Respect  and  Duiy  and  I  do  wish 


(gtrf^pface  an}>  cEnce0tor0.  25 

that  you  may  always  live  together  until  separated  by  j\Iar- 
riage  or  Death,  but  I  will  not  lay  any  Injunction  on  you  not 
foreseeing  what  may  happen. 

And  now  I  have  to  Recommend  you  to  be  steadfast  to  the 
Faith  and  Worship  of  the  Church  of  England  Jiaving  always 
a  Charitable  opinion  for  those  of  other  persuasions. 

I  earnestly  desire  you  to  beg  of  God,  to  let  you  know- 
Experimentally,  the  Power,  as  well  as  to  have  the  Form,  of 
Godliness. 

My  dear  Polly,  I  do  from  my  own  experience,  and  to  my 
great  comfort,  and  consolation,  assure  you  that  all  the  en- 
joyments of  this  world,  have  been  to  me  as  Trifles,  in  com- 
parison of  that  sweet  and  ravishing  delight  I  have  felt  in 
the  exercise  o{  fervent  earnest  Prayer. 

My  dear  child,  I  desire  you  to  beg.  Oh,  earnestly  to  beg 
of  God,  to  enlighten  your  Understanding,  that  you  may 
know  his  Will,  and  grant  you  his  Grace,  to  enable  you  to 
perform  your  Duty;  and  pray  that  nothing,  no,  not  the 
greatest  worldly  interest,  may  ever  prevail  with  you  to  trifle 
with  Religion,  or  your  duty,  and  that  you  may  practice  Re- 
ligion, without  which  the  Profession  of  it,  will  avail  you 
nothing.  You  have  the  sum  of  it  in  the  answer  to  the  two 
questions  in  the  Church  Catechism,  viz:  *' What  is  thy  duty 
to  God,  and  to  thy  Neighbor,"  which  I  desire  you  daily  to 
practice. 

I  earnestly  beg  God  Almighty,  to  pour  down  his  Bless- 
ings and  Mercies  upon  you :  blessings  of  the  right  hand,  and 
the  left,  and  that  He  will  ''  keep  you  Steadfast,  and  Unmov- 
able,  always  Abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,"  and  I  am 
well  assured  vour  labor  will  not  be  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 


26  One  j0urx'tvc'i>  ^tavs  il^o. 

Farewell,  my  dear  Polly!  I  now  leave  you  to  pursue 
those  paths  which  lead  to  Heaven,  and  Happiness,  where  I 
trust  to  meet  you,  ravished  with  those  pleasures,  and  de- 
lights, which  God  has  prepared  for  those  who  love  him. 

Richard  Grafton. 

This  last  parting  exhortation  of  Richard  Grafton  was 
sacredly  treasured,  as  we  may  readily  imagine,  by  his  daugh- 
ter, as  was  also  the  "  Whole  Duty  of  Man."  This  volume  is 
still  in  possession  of  the  family. 

The  summary  of  Christian  duty  to  which  he  refers,  as 
given  by  our  Lord,  and  repeated  in  the  Catechism,  "  Thou 
shall  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  with  all  thy 
soul  and  all  thy  mind  and  with  all  thy  strength,  and  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself,"  she  endeavored  to  make  the  rule  of  her 
life  and  of  that  of  her  children  and  grandchildren.  In  the 
year  1892  it  was  my  privilege  to  stand  by  the  bedside  of  one 
of  these,  an  aged  and  dying  saint.  Her  eyes  and  hands  were 
lifted  to  Heaven,  and  in  a  loud  and  distinct  voice  she  ex- 
claimed with  her  parting  breath,  "  With  all  my  heart,  with 
all  my  soul  and  with  all  my  strength  I  do,"  and  here  the 
trembling  lips  failed  to  articulate  clearly,  but  a  wonderful 
radiance  lighted  the  face,  and  she  was  gone,  with  this  note 
of  victory  upon  her  lips. 

So  we  see  the  fruit  of  a  good  man's  precept  and  example 
on  his  descendants  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
after  he  had  been  laid  at  rest. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  State  of  the  Church  immediately  before  the 

Revolution. 

1 766- 1 776. 

T  was  well  for  Mary  Grafton  that  she  held  en- 
shrined in  her  heart  this  last  tender  exhortation  of 
her  father,  and  had  likewise  in  her  possession  that 
"foHo  edition  of  the  Whole  Duty  of  Man"  to 
direct  her  path  in  life,  for  immediately  after  her  marriage 
with  Walter  Dulany,  which  took  place  soon  after,  she  was 
thrown  into  an  atmosphere  of  gaiety  and  fashion  where 
religion  had  small  place. 

She  was  young,  accomplished,  and  in  every  way  fitted  to 
shine  in  the  brilliant  little  circle  into  which  her  husband  now 
introduced  her.  He  seems  to  have  been  a  man  of  ability, 
although  his  talents  were  less  conspicuous  than  those  of  his 
more  distinguished  father  and  brother.  He  succeeded  the 
former  as  Commissary-General,  and  continued  the  same 
kind  supervision  of  the  interests  of  the  widows  and  orphans 
of  the  province,  and  was  after  his  death  in  1773  much  cen- 
sured by  one  who  desired  to  succeed  him  in  office,  for  hav- 
ing "  so  often  remitted  the  fees  which  were  due  to  him  from 
their  estates,  that  the  office  had  become  in  his  hands  much 
less  lucrative  than  it  should  be." 


28  One  J^nn'tvt'b  "^eare  dlgo. 

Few  homes  in  the  land  had  been  happier  than  theirs. 
Thomas  Addison,  aspiring  to  a  place  there,  truly  described 
it  as  a  "  Home  where  Harmony,  Peace  and  Contentment 
reigned.'' 

It  was  also  the  seat  of  a  large  hospitality,  in  the  exercise 
of  which  many  friends  and  relations  were  made  to  share  in 
these  blessings.  The  overflow  of  their  good  things  also 
helped  to  make  the  lives  of  the  poor  and  needy  more  toler- 
able. 

The  Church  in  Annapolis,  and  indeed  in  Maryland  gener- 
ally, was  in  a  deplorable  condition.  The  old  edifice  in  An- 
napolis was  typical  of  the  state  of  things  spiritual,  while  a 
fine  new  theatre  had  been  built  under  the  patronage  of  the 
Royal  Governor.  This  theatre  was  opened  June  i8th,  1752, 
and  used  successfully  fifteen  or  sixteen  years.  Various 
clubs,  the  Tuesday  Club,  the  Jockey  Club,  etc.,  found  ample 
support,  while  the  Church  was  falling  to  decay;  and  in  a 
poem  published  in  the  ]\Iaryland  Gazette,  from  which  these 
lines  are  extracted,  the  old  church  bemoans  its  condition: 

"  How  changed  the  times  :  for  all  around 
Unnumbered  stately  piles  are  found. 
All  better  built  and  looking  down 
On  me,  quite  antiquated  grown, 
Left  unrepaired,  to  Time  and  prey 
I  feel  my  Vitals  fast  decay. 
And  often  have  I  heard  it  said 
That  some  good  people  are  afraid 
That  I  should  tumble  on  their  head. 
Of  which  indeed  this  seems  a  proof, — 
They  seldom  come  beneath  my  roof." 


§>taU  of  u3e  eguvc?.  29 

This  plea  was  written  by  Rev.  Mr.  Boucher,  who  for  a 
short  time  was  rector  there  and  who  really  was  a  good  man, 
and  it  had  the  effect,  it  is  said,  of  causing  a  new  church  to  be 
erected. 

The  unhappy  state  of  the  Church  was  indeed  a  sore  grief 
to  the  more  thoughtful  part  of  the  community.  It  was  in  a 
measure  caused  by  the  fact  that  the  sole  power  to  present 
livings  lay  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  Proprietor,  a  dissolute 
young  man  with  no  religious  principle  or  regard  for  the 
interests  of  the  Church.  "  The  clergy  of  Maryland,"  writes 
one  of  their  number,  "  are  better  provided  than  those  of  any 
other  colony  and  they  are  less  respectable."  The  stipend 
was  so  large  that  the  parishes  became  a  prey  to  the  needy 
companions  of  Frederick,  who  were  quite  frequently  or- 
dained with  the  object  of  filling  vacancies  which  had  been 
previously  promised  to  them. 

A  letter  from  Dr.  Chandler  to  the  Bishop  of  London  will 
throw  some  light  on  this  state  of  things: 

OcL  21,  1767. 
My  Lord  : 

In  the  month  of  May  last  I  had  occasion  to  go  into  the 
State  of  Maryland  and  think  it  my  duty  to  take  this  oppor- 
tunity to  report  to  yr  Lordship  that  I  found  the  people  on 
the  southern  part  of  the  Eastern  Shore  where  I  spent  a  fort- 
night, to  be  the  most  Sober  and  Orderly,  the  least  Vicious 
and  most  Religious,  and  at  the  same  time  t/ie  freest  from 
Enthisiasm,  of  any  people  I  have  ever  met  with.  The 
Parishes,  are  large.  The  livings  generally  worth  £300,  some 
£500.  (The  general  character  of  the  clergy  I  am  sorry  to  say 


30  One  '^unlvt^  ^tavQ  dEl^o. 

is  wretchedly  bad. }  It  is  readily  confessed  there  are  some 
whose  Behaviour  is  Unexceptionable,  but  their  number  ap- 
pears to  be  very  small.  They  appear  here,  and  there,  like 
Lights  shining  in  a  Dark  Place.  It  would  really  my  Lord 
make  the  ears  of  a  sober  Heathen  tingle,  to  hear  the  stories 
that  are  told  me  by  many  serious  people, 
r  The  Inhabitants  look  upon  themselves  to  be  in  the 
cruelest  state  of  Oppression  with  regard  to  Ecclesiastical 
matters.  The  Churches  are  built  and  liberally  endowed 
entirely  at  their  expense.  Yet  the  Proprietor  claims  the  sole 
right  of  Patronage  and  causes  Inductions  to  be  made  with- 
out any  regard  to  the  opinion  of  the  Parishioners.^  Some  of 
those  inducted  are  known  to  be  bad  men,  at  the  very  time, 
and  the  others  show  themselves  to  be  so  afterwards.  There 
is  no  Remedy,  as  they  cannot  be  removed  even  by  the 
highest  exercise  of  Proprietary  power.  These  are  the  com- 
plaints of  the  people.  I  was  desired  to  represent  them  to  yr 
L'dship  and  employ  your  Interposition. 

My  Lord  yr  dutiful  servant 

Thomas  B.  Chandler. 

T/ie  Rev.  Henry  Addiso7i  to  the  Lord  BisJiop  of  London: 

Oct.  29,  1766. 
My  Lord: 

The  writer  of  this  letter  living  in  a  remote  part  of  the 
world,  and  being  an  utter  stranger  to  your  Lordship  hath 
nevertheless  presumed  to  address  you,  from  a  confidence 
that  nothing  will  be  thought  by  your  L'dship  beneath  your 
attention  in  w^hich  the  interests  of  the  Ch  of  England  are 


^tatt  of  t6e  thv4'  31 

concerned,  A  clergyman  as  I  am  of  that  excellent  Church, 
I  cannot  see  anything  which  reflects  disgrace  upon  her  with 
indifference. 

This  must  be  my  apology  for  the  trouble  I  must  at  this 
present  give  your  L'dship  which  is  particularly  occasioned 
by  the  infamous  conduct  of  a  person  who  in  this  part  of  the 
world  chose  to  call  himself  Congreve,  but  at  the  beginning 
of  the  present  year  was  ordained  by  your  L'dship  under  the 
name  of  Colgrave.  It  will  be  necessary  to  give  a  few  Anec- 
dotes of  the  life  of  this  man  so  far  as  they  have  come  to  my 
knowledge. 

He  is  a  native  ot  Ireland  and  hath  been  a  good  many 
years  in  America  where  by  his  own  acct,  he  led  a  vagrant 
life.  He  at  one  time  kept  a  House  of  Entertainment  of  no 
very  good  repute  in  Philadelphia;  he  was  likewise  at  one 
time  in  the  army  here,  particularly  at  the  siege  of  Louisburg. 
The  war  being  over  and  strolling  about,  he  came  to  Mary- 
land and  was  appointed  Master  of  a  Free  school  in  the  Co 
of  Prince  George  where  I  live:  here  he  married  a  wife  who 
left  him  in  a  week  apprehending  her  life  to  be  in  danger. 
She  had  much  reason,  for  he  is  an  abandoned  drunkard,  and 
when  drunk  an  outrageous  madman.  He  remained  with  us 
five  or  six  months  and  having  got  in  debt  ran  away  and  I 
was  in  hopes  I  shd  have  heard  of  him  no  more  forever.  Yr 
Ldship  will  judge  what  was  my  astonishment,  and  indigna- 
tion, upon  receiving  a  letter  from  London  informing  me 
that  he  was  in  Holy  Orders.  Such  was  Kis  conduct  before 
his  Ordination  and  yr  Ldship  shall  hear  that  his  change  of 
character  wrought  no  change  of  manners  in  him.  Upon  his 
arrival  from  England  he  ofificiated  in  the  Parish,  where  he 


32  One  ^un^ret)  "Pears  cE^o. 


had  before  resided  and  after  service  got  Drunk  and  behaved 
in  the  most  outrageous  manner,  to  the  scandal  and  grief  of 
the  friends  of  the  Church  and  the  triumph  of  her  enemies. 
After  a  short  stay  here  he  went  to  N.  CaroHna  where  to- 
gether with  a  Parish,  he  enjoyed  a  small  emolument  of  £20 
from  the  Ven  society.  How  worthily  your  Idship  will 
judge.  Your  Ldship  will  please  observe  that  I  write  with- 
out any  desire  to  be  concealed,  but  that  you  are  at  full  lib- 
erty to  make  such  use  of  this  letter  as  you  shall  judge  proper. 

In  conclusion  permit  me  my  Lord  with  humble  deference 
to  add  a  short  Reflection.  That  upon  such  Occasions  the 
disgrace  falls,  not  always  where  it  ought  to  fall,  upon  such 
as  recommend  the  unw^orthy  to  yr  Lordship. 

That  this  and  such  other  instances  which  I  know  to  be 
not  unfrequent  with  respect  to  America,  strongly  evince 
among  other  things  the  expediency  of  establishing  Episco- 
pacy here,  without  which  one  may  venture  to  prophesy  that 
the  church  of  England  must  lose  ground. 

With  ardent  prayer  to  the  speedy  Accomplishment  of 
which  most  desirable  End  I  am  with  great  respect 

Henry  Addison,  M.  A. 

Here  is  another,  written  October  24th,  1769: 

Aly  Lord,"^  tis  with  difficulty  I  can  restrain  myself  from 
lamenting — (what  the  present  Instance  with  many  others 
which  daily  occur  too  aptly  furnish  Occasion  to  do) — the 
unhappy  case  of  the  church  of  England  in  this  Province. 

*  Dr.  Richard  Terrick,  Ld.  Bishop  of  London. 


§taU  of  tU  €gurc6.  33 

Far  removed  from  her  Bishops,  deprived  of  Discipline  which 
every  other  Denomination  can  freely  exercise,  and  delivered 
tip  as  it  were  Bound  in  the  hands  of  her  Enemies.  .  .  . 

But  I  ask  your  Lordship's  pardon  and  have  done — well 
knowing  that  you  are  ever  watchful  of  any  Occasion  which 
Providence  shall  present  for  their  removal. 

Humbly  craving  your  Ldship's  Blessing  I  remain  with  all 
respect  Yr  Ldship's  obedient  humble  servt 

Henry  Addison. 

Among  Mr.  Dulany's  papers  are  some  very  curious  ones 
relating  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Allen,  who  had  been  a  college  com- 
panion of  the  Proprietor,  and  who  seems  to  have  been  a 
congenial  friend  and  favorite  of  Frederick.  His  lordship 
ordered  Gov.  Sharpe  to  appoint  him  a  parish.  So  Mr. 
Allen  was  appointed  to  St.  Anne's,  Annapolis;  but  one 
parish  did  not  satisfy  his  need,  and  Lord  Baltimore  urged 
that  he  be  appointed  to  two,  or  more,  but  the  law  of  Mary- 
land was  against  that,  except  with  the  consent  of  the  vestry. 
Mr.  Allen  persuaded  Mr.  Sam  Chew  (an  ancestor  of  the 
Chews  of  Cliveden,  Philadelphia),  vestryman  at  St.  James, 
West  River,  to  consent  to  advocate  his  interest  with  the 
vestry  of  that  parish.  He  asked  Mr.  Chew  what  might  be 
the  yearly  income.  He  answered  £300.  "  That,"  said  Mr. 
Allen,  "will  hardly  supply  me  with  liquors."  Mr.  Chew, 
after  some  further  intercourse  with  Mr.  Allen,  determined 
not  to  give  him  his  support.  On  informing  Mr.  Allen  of  his 
change  of  mind,  he  exclaimed,  "  Oh,  Dulany."  "  I  told  him 
(writes  Mr  Chew)  there  was  no  Foundation  for  such  an  Ac- 
cusation as  it  was  onlv  from  himself  that  I  knew  him  to  be 


34  One  ^Mr\Ut'i>  "Peatre  il^o. 

his  Enemy.  To  which  Mr.  Allen  answered,  '  I  should 
doubt  that.'  I  was  much  Provoked,  but  walked  to  my  desk 
where  was  a  Bible,  and  laying  my  hand  upon  it  I  declared 
on  the  Holy  Evangels,  that  what  I  had  said  was  True.  He 
then  came  up  to  me  and  said  *  Sir,  notwithstanding  that  I 
should  doubt  your  Word.'  I  replied  '  What  is  that  you  say, 
sir?  there  is  the  door.'  He  answered,  '  No  sir.'  I  then  told 
him  he  was  a  Scoundrel  and  seizing  him  by  the  Collar  with 
one  hand  I  with  a  Stick  in  the  other  dragged  him  out  of  my 
Door.  On  my  attempting  to  bar  the  Door  he  put  his  whole 
weight  against  it,  upon  which  I  aimed  a  Blow^,  with  a  very 
good  will  I  must  confess,  at  his  Bald  Pate,  but  unluckily  the 
Door  took  it,  and  thus  he  escaped  a  broken  Pate — the  best 
part  of  his  Deserts.  I  then  drove  him  ofiE  the  steps  and 
ordered  him  to  go  about  his  Business. 

"The  next  morning  a  servant  brought  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Edminton  (Air,  Allen's  curate)  who  was  staying  with  me  and 
had  been  Present,  enclosing  one  for  me. 

"  I  asked  Mr.  E  from  whom  it  came?  After  a  pause,  he 
told  me  from  Mr.  Allen.  I  told  him  I  w^ould  not  receive  a 
letter  from  such  a  Scoundrel,  and  threw  it  unopened  into  the 
fire,  not  dreaming  as  it  came  from  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel 
it  could  be  a  Challenge. 

"  Notwithstanding  Air.  Allen  knew  I  had  burnt  his  letter 
and  therefore  could  know^  nothing  of  the  Appointment,  he 
most  Heroically  marched  on  the  appointed  day  to  the  field 
of  Battle. 

"  After  that.  Air.  Allen  went  to  AI!r.  Thomas's  and  before 
he  came  away  showed  his  pistols  to  Air.  J.  Thomas  and 
asked  him  to  unscrew  one  of  them.     Mr.  T.  told  him  he 


§t<xtt  of  tU  Cgutrcg.  35 

thought  it  strange  he  (a  Minister)  should  carry  them.  The 
Minister  rephed  '  I  not  only  Carry  them,  but  will  make  Use 
of  them.'  From  thence  he  went  to  the  Church,  with  his 
pistol  and  a  cane  with  a  Tuck  in  it,  and  preached  the  most 
insolent  Sermon." 

After  this  a  meeting  was  arranged  to  take  place  in  "  Mr. 
Sam  Galloway's  fields,"  but  Mr.  Allen  did  not  make  his  ap- 
pearance at  the  time  fixed.  He  was  for  some  little  time 
rector  of  St.  Anne's,  and  a  year  after  was  inducted  into  All 
Saints,  Frederick,  the  richest  living  in  the  colony.  The  feel- 
ing against  him  in  Annapolis  was  very  bitter,  and  it  is  said 
that  Mr.  Daniel  Dulany  gave  him  a  caning  in  the  street. 
This  he  revenged  many  years  after,  June  i8th,  1782,  when 
Mr.  Lloyd  Dulany  was  in  London,  by  publishing  a  scan- 
dalous piece  in  the  newspaper  about  him.  A  challenge  en- 
sued, and  a  duel  was  fought  between  them  in  St.  James 
Park,  in  which  Mr.  Dulany  was  killed.  He  was  much  la- 
mented by  all  who  knew  him  and  especially  among  his 
family  and  friends  in  America,  by  whom  he  w^as  greatly 
beloved.  What  added  to  the  tragic  character  of  the  event 
was  that  he  left  a  young  and  beautiful  bride  to  mourn  him. 

But  dreadful  as  is  the  picture  thus  presented  of  the  Church 
in  Maryland,  there  were  nevertheless  many  sincere  and 
devoted  men,  both  among  the  clergy  and  laity,  "  who  kept 
the  lamp  from  going  out  in  the  Temple  of  the  Lord  " — men 
to  whom  the  Church  of  England  was  dear,  and  who  through 
all  these  trials  remained  perfectly  loyal  to  the  church  of  their 
fathers,  in  these  days  of  her  humiliation.  They  beheld 
"these  ravening  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing  tearing  the 
flock,"    and    were    helpless    to    resist   them.     In    vain    they 


36  Cne  ^un^ve^  't)eatr0  ilgo. 

"  vexed  their  righteous  souls  "  to  find  a  remedy  for  these 
iniquities.  There  seemed  no  possible  redress.  A  letter  in 
answer  to  one  of  these  remonstrants  says: 

"  Mr.  Eden  and  I  before  his  Departure  both  saw  the 
Bishop  of  London.  The  Bishop  acquainted  us  that  he  had 
no  commission  of  Superintendency  over  the  clergy  of 
America  as  Bishop  Sherlock  had,  so  that  the  necessary  Con- 
trol must  either  be  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  Proprietor  as 
Ordinary  under  his  Charter,  or  in  the  King." 

To  the  Christians  in  the  community  this  state  of  things 
had  become  almost  intolerable,  and  no  doubt  had  a  large 
share  in  causing  their  disaffection  to  the  government. 
Among  the  leading  causes  of  the  war  this  has,  I  think,  been 
overlooked;  yet  surely  no  grievance  could  have  been  more 
unbearable,  and  if  so  to  the  Episcopalians  themselves,  how 
doubly  so  to  members  of  other  communions  who  were 
forced  to  pay  for  the  support  of  these  men,  for  whose  church 
they  had  no  veneration  and  whose  ungodly  lives  were  a 
scandal  to  all  religion. 

When  we  rejoice  in  .the  blessings  of  a  free  government, 
how  much  more  cause  have  we  to  give  thanks  for  a  free 
church,  with  a  pure  ministry,  and  to  honor  those  men  by 
whose  efforts  it  was  established  on  its  present  high  moral 
basis.  Without  a  glance  at  the  terrible  disorders  which 
existed  previous  to  the  Revolution  we  could  perhaps 
scarcely  realize  the  difficulty  of  their  task  in  reconstructing 
and  disciplining  the  infant  Church.  Many  were  the  hin- 
drances, moral  and  financial,  to  be  encountered,  and  we  can 
but  admire  the  courage  and  determination  with  which  these 
were  met  and  overcome:  and  the  success  which  crowned 


^taU  of  tU  <tguvcg.  37 

their  efforts  is  a  proof  that  the  Spirit  of  God  was  with  them. 
But  it  would  be  by  no  means  just  to  our  Mother  Church 
that  we  should  confine  our  attention  entirely  to  these  dis- 
orders and  overlook  the  benefits  received  at  her  hands. 
From  the  very  condemnation  these  evil  men  received  I 
think  their  lives  must  have  been  exceptional. 

If  we  look  back  a  little  to  the  earlier  part  of  the  same 
century  we  find  a  more  attractive  picture  in  the  labors  of  the 
'*  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
Parts."  In  the  history  of  their  missionaries  there  is  much  to 
awaken  our  interest  and  admiration.  The  story  of  their 
adventures  by  sea  and  land  and  the  toils  and  perils  which 
they  encountered  in  carrying  the  Gospel  to  the  scattered 
flock  in  the  wilds  of  this  then  savage  land,  and  to  the  sav- 
ages themselves,  form  a  noble  record  of  which  the  Church 
may  well  be  proud.  This  Society  was  founded  in  1701, 
chiefly  through  the  zealous  efforts  of  Dr.  Thos.  Bray,  "  a 
man,"  says  his  biographer,  "  of  Apostolic  zeal."  Charity  to 
the  souls  of  other  men  was  wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch 
in  his.  Every  reflection  on  the  dark  and  forlorn  condition 
of  the  Indians  and  negroes  excited  in  him  sincere  emotions 
of  pity  and  concern."  In  1696  this  good  man  was  appointed 
ecclesiastical  commissary,  and  entered  with  enthusiasm  upon 
the  task  of  providing  earnest  ministers  and  good  books  to 
the  colonies.  Finding  that  his  presence  in  America  was 
needed,  and  no  provision  being  made  for  his  journey,  he 
sold  his  effects  and  raised  money  on  credit  to  defray  the  ex- 
pense of  the  journey,  resigning  besides  a  desirable  parish  in 
England.  He  set  sail  for  America,  and  after  a  long  and 
dangerous  voyage   of  three   months   arrived   in   Maryland, 


38  ^ne  T^un^vt'ii  "Peave  il^o. 

December,  1699.  He  organized  the  Church  here  as  well  as 
he  could,  and  returned  to  England  in  1700  to  obtain  the 
sanction  of  the  king  to  a  bill  for  its  order  and  constitution. 
He  now  gave  himself  up  to  labor  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
the  colonies  by  collecting  libraries  for  their  use,  and  finally 
by  uniting  those  interested  in  this  object  in  a  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Lands.  This  Society 
held  its  first  meeting  at  Lambeth  Palace,  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  presiding.  Its  objects  are  thus  declared:  "To 
settle  the  State  of  Religion  as  well  as  may  be  among  our  own 
people  which  by  all  accounts  very  much  needs  their  Pious 
care  and  then  to  proceed  in  the  best  methods  they  can  to- 
wards the  conversion  of  the  natives.  To  supply  Bibles  and 
Prayer  Books  to  the  colonies  and  to  furnish  their  churches 
with  good  books."  The  Society  adopted  as  its  seal  a  ship 
under  sail,  with  a  minister  holding  a  book  at  the  prow,  and 
the  motto  "  Transiens  adjuva  nos."  In  1701  Maryland  had 
a  population  of  2500,  settled  in  thirty  parishes,  only  half  sup- 
plied with  clergy.  The  S.  P.  G.  assisted  both  by  the  settle- 
ment of  clergy  and  in  books.  Their  missionaries,  true  to 
their  motto,  traveled  through  the  colonies  preaching  and 
distributing  books.  In  1702  Keith  and  Talbot  were  in  Mary- 
land. The  history  of  the  latter  is  full  of  romantic  interest. 
He,  it  is  now  known,  was  one  of  the  non-juring  bishops, 
who  came  to  Maryland  as  chaplain  to  the  ship  Centurion; 
here  he  exchanged  this  position  for  the  more  arduous  one 
of  missionary,  and  later  became  a  member  of  the  S.  P.  G. 
I  give  a  little  extract  from  one  of  his  letters,  which  has  an 
apostolic  ring  about  it:  "I  might  have  money  enough  of  the 


§>t<xtt  of  tU  C^utrcg.  39 

people  in  many  places  but  I  would  not  take  any,  of  those 
we  come  to  proselyte.  I  resolved  to  work  with  my  hands 
rather  than  they  should  say  I  was  a  hireling,  which  they  are 
very  apt  to  do.  Blessed  be  God  I  never  wanted  cloaths, 
meat  nor  drink,  yet  if  you  don't  send  me  some  cloaths  by 
next  shipping  instead  of  going  as  they  do  at  White  Hall  I 
shall  eoe  as  the  Indians.  I  shall  be  content  let  it  be  as  it 
will."  There  is  a  little  episode  connected  with  the  work  of 
this  Society  which  I  will  give  here,  because  while  it  shows 
the  catholic  spirit  of  the  Church  of  that  period,  it  has  also  a 
relation  to  some  of  the  personages  who  figure  in  this  his- 
tory.    It  is  taken  from  the  Churchman  of  May  29th,  1886: 

''  There  is  an  interesting  phase  of  the  early  history  of  the 
Church  in  this  country  which  from  the  nature  of  the  cir- 
cumstances is  almost  entirely  unknown,  viz.,  the  cordial 
unity  and  friendship  which  for  nearly  a  century  subsisted 
betwixt  the  missionaries  of  the  venerable  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel  and  the  Swedish  missionaries." 
Eric  Biork's  diary  tells  that  "  Mr.  Evans  the  English  minis- 
ter in  Philadelphia  in  171 2  received  a  letter  from  the  High 
Worthy  Bishop  of  London  a  copy  of  which  I  take  this  op- 
portunity to  put  on  record  that  those  who  come  after  us  may 
see  how  we  Swedes  and  the  English  lived  in  trust  and  fel- 
lowship with  each  other: 

"  '  I  recommend  to  you  these  two  Swedish  missionaries 
Andrias  Hesselius  and  Mr.  Abraham  Sidenius,  whom  I  de- 
sire you  to  receive  with  all  brotherly  friendship  and  Charity 
and  to  cultivate  the  best  understanding  you  can  with  them 
and  assist  them  with  any  directions  they  may  stand  in  need 


40  One  ^un^reb  "^eare  ilgo. 

of  and  in  my  name  recommend  them  to  the  good  will  and 
protection  of  the  Governor. 

Your  most  assured  friend 
FuLHAM,  Feb.  8th,  171 1.  Henry  London. 

Andreas  Hesselius  was  recalled  in  173 1.  *'  On  his  de- 
parture he  received  the  following  testimonial  from  the  Eng- 
lish clergy:  We,  clergy  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania, 
who  have  had  long  experience  of  the  worth  and  great 
abilities  of  the  Rev.  Andreas  Hesselius  and  the  Rev.  Abram 
Sidenius,  who  are  now  to  return  to  their  native  land — 
do  beg  leave  to  add  to  our  prayers  to  Almighty  God  for 
their  safe  arrival — this  public  mark  of  our  sincere  regard  and 
brotherly  affection  for  them.  They  were  always  welcome  to 
our  pulpits  as  we  to  theirs.  They  often  preached  in  Eng- 
lish with  applause,  and  good  success,  without  the  least  dimi- 
nution of  their  care  and  vigilance  over  their  own  particular 
flock:  whose  circumstances  being  generally  speaking  but 
narrow,  our  brethren  had  opportunity  given  them  to  know 
how  to  be  abased  and  suffer  need.  The  Venerable  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  afforded  them  of  late 
some  assistance  in  consideration  of  their  care  for  the  vacant 
churches  among  us,  and  the  favor  shown  them  is  we  hope  a 
fair  preludium  of  their  attaining  also  in  process  of  time  to 
know  how  to  abound." 

In  1723  Provost  Samuel  HesseUus  succeeded  his  brother. 
He  also  was  recalled  in  1731.  On  his  departure  he  received 
the  following  testimonial  from  the  English  clergy:  "We, 
ministers  of  the  English  church  have  deemed  it  just  to  offer 


§taU  of  tU  <S^6urc?.  4' 

a  letter  of  recommendation  to  the  most  beloved  Brother  in 
Christ  the  Rev.  Samuel  Hesselius,  Master  of  Philosophy 
and  Pastor  of  the  Swedish  Church  located  on  a  river  gener- 
ally called  Christina.  As  said  Hesselius  is  now  by  order  of 
his  sovereign  the  King  of  Sweden  about  to  return  to  his 
Fatherland  we  thus  certify  that  this  godly  man  during  a 
number  of  years  worked  faithfully  in  the  Lords  vineyard  on 
this  side  the  ocean.  He  is  a  very  gifted  preacher  and  very 
diligent  in  propagating  the  Gospel.  May  the  Glorious  God 
so  arrange  that  our  very  worthy  fellow  servant  may  arrive 
safely  in  Sweden  and  finally  be  exalted  to  the  Heavenly 
Father  Land  through  Our  Lord 'Jesus  Christ. 

Archibald  Gumming,  Commissary, 

and  others." 

Samuel  Hesselius  appears  to  have  returned  to  this  country 
and  must  also  in  some  measure  have  "  learned  to  abound," 
for  his  only  son  John  Hesselius  in  1755  mentions  that  he  was 
detained  in  Philadelphia  on  account  of  being  the  executor  of 
his  "dear  Father."  Although  his  name  is  now  extinct  in 
this  country,  it  is  still  remembered  with  honor  in  the  old 
Swedes  Church  in  Delaware. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Revolution  as  it  Affected  the  Church. 

1773-1776. 

WALTER  DULANY  died  in  1773,  beloved  and 
regretted.  His  wife,  in  a  letter  to  her  son,  de- 
c.  too-  g-j.^g  nothing  for  him  but  that  he  should  "walk 
in  his  Father's  footsteps." 

He  left  three  sons, — Walter,  Daniel,  and  Grafton,  and  four 
daughters, — Rebecca  (Mrs.  Addison),  Alary  (Airs.  Fitzhugh), 
Kitty,  afterwards  Airs.  Belt,  and  Peggy  (Airs.  Alontgomery). 

His  death  was  the  first  of  a  succession  of  sorrows  shortly 
to  fall  on  this  happy  household;  sorrows  and  perplexities 
manifold,  which  were  borne  with  wonderful  courage  and  for- 
titude by  its  widowed  head.  One  cannot  read  her  letters 
without  admiration  for  the  cheerful  tone  in  which  she  strives 
to  encourage  her  sons,  while  she  utterly  abstains  from  de- 
manding sympathy  of  them  or  bemoaning  herself.  In  the 
year  1775  her  son-in-law,  Thomas  Addison,  died,  leaving  her 
daughter  a  young  widow,  with  four  little  helpless  orphans, 
just  when  the  political  disturbances  which  had  been  gather- 
ing strength  for  some  years  were  about  to  break  out  in  war 
with  the  mother-country. 

He  appears  to  have  executed  his  "  trust  as  Executor  to 
his  father "  with  discretion  and  ability,  and  left  his  own 
estate  in  a  prosperous  condition.     By  his  will  he  made  pro- 


Z^t  (Repofuhon  an^  tge  Cferg^.  43 

.vision  that  his  sons  should  be  sent  to  England  to  be  edu- 
cated as  soon  as  they  should  arrive  at  a  proper  age.  His 
widow  remained  at  Oxon  Hill,  and  her  son  Walter  was  sent 
back  to  her,  no  doubt  that  he  might  help  to  comfort  his 
mother.  At  this  time  he  was  in  his  seventh  year — old 
enough  to  give  her  a  degree  of  companionship  if  not  pro- 
tection. 

Whoever  has  been  witness  to  a  great  popular  uprising, 
such  for  instance  as  was  produced  in  our  Northern  States  by 
the  firing  on  the  flag  at  Fort  Sumpter,  or  by  the  passing  of 
the  Northern  troops  through  Baltimore  on  the  19th  of 
April,  can  understand  the  burst  of  long-suppressed  feeling, 
which  was  kindled  into  uncontrollable  flame,  by  the  burning 
of  the  "Peggy  Stewart."  There  was  no  further  place  for 
moderate  counsels.  From  that  moment  to  be  in  sympathy 
with  the  King  was  to  be  a  hated  enemy  of  the  colonies. 
Former  friends,  who  had  lived  in  harmony  and  good-fellow- 
ship for  years  and  until  this  moment,  now  ranged  themselves 
on  opposite  sides.  Contrary  views  produced  a  conflicting 
sense  of  duty.  Men  were  carried  away  and  parted  forever 
bv  the  current  of  excited  and  violent  feeling  which  could  not 
be  restrained,  and  would  not  tolerate  for  a  moment  a  differ- 
ence of  opinion.  Neither  moderation  nor  compromise  was 
possible.  Such  was  the  crisis  which  was  produced  by  this 
event,  and  is  thus  described  by  Grafton  Dulany  in  a  letter 
to  his  brother  Walter  "  near  Alexandria,"  probably  at  Oxon 
Hill  with  his  sister: 

Annapolis,  Oct.  1774. 
Dear  Wat: 

Nothing  can  I  think,  talk,  hear  or  write  of  but  the 
Tumults  in  this  town  occasioned  bv  the  Tea.     This  is  the 


44  One  '^vin'^xtl  ^zaxQ  il^o. 

3rd  letter  I  have  wrote  on  the  same  Topic.  A  plain,  brief 
narration  without  any  remarks  is  what  you  would  choose. 

Well,  Anthony  Stewart's  brig  arrived  here  the  other  day, 
with  a  very  large  quantity  of  tea,  imported  by  Williams 
according  to  orders  sent  before  any  association  at  all  in  this 
Province. 

Stewart  (as  he  says)  according  to  the  practice  here  and  in 
Virginia  entered  his  Vessel  and  paid  the  Duty  upon  the  Tea. 
The  people  of  the  Town  were  very  much  incensed  and  re- 
solved unanimously  the  Tea  should  not  be  landed,  but  in 
this  important  affair  it  was  thought  proper  to  call  in  the 
County  that  they  might  proceed  with  the  best  advice.  Notice 
w^as  given  accordingly  and  yesterday  they  came  to  Town 
inflamed  to  the  highest  Degree  determined  to  tar  and  feather 
Stewart  and  burn  his  Brig. 

Upon  the  meeting  they  became  cooler  and  they  resolved 
to  burn  only  the  Tea  at  the  expense  of  Stewart  and  Wms 
and  pardon  them  on  their  making  concessions.  Their  ac- 
knowledgements were  received,  and  a  Vote  put  whether  or 
not  the  Brig  should  be  burned — carryed  in  the  negative  by 
a  great  Majority — notwithstanding  this — as  there  was  a  par- 
cel of  people  who  came  resolved  to  do  mischief,  it  was  tho't 
prudent  to  sacrifice  the  Brig  to  appease  them  and  keep  them 
from  something  of  more  value. 

Thinking  Mr.  Stewart  might  have  the  Hardiness  to  en- 
deavor to  vindicate  his  character  in  the  Gazette,  four  Black- 
guards, Capt  H.,  Dr.  S.,  R.  H.  and  R  chief  Coxcomb  of  our 
town,  went  to  Mr.  Stewart  and  made  him  bind  himself  not 
to  publish  an  account  of  his  conduct — by  way  of  Apology, 
which  he  had  set  about  in  Hand  Bills — and  forewarned  the 
printer  from  publishing  anything  in  his  favor  at  his  peril. 


ZU  (get)ofu(ion  anl  tU  ^ferg^.  45 

If  this  is  Liberty  and  this  America  my  motto  shall  not 
be  '  Libertas  et  Natale  Solum.' 

Yrs  affectly 

Grafton  Dulany. 

''All  America,"  writes  Eddis,  "is  in  a  flame."  To  be 
antagonistic  to  the  popular  feeling  at  that  time  meant  utter 
rout  and  discomfiture;  it  was  impossible  to  resist  the  tor- 
rent of  enthusiasm  which  hourly  increased  in  volume,  and 
the  feeling  against  the  Tories  increased  in  the  same  ratio. 
Early  in  1776  cards  were  issued  by  certain  members  of  the 
''  Council  of  Safety  "  and  distributed  to  the  disaffected  citi- 
zens of  Annapolis,  to  this  effect:  "You  are  hereby  ordered 
to  depart  from  the  City  to-morrow  at  9  o'clock." 

This  action,  however,  was  not  indorsed  by  the  Council 
itself.  The  cards  were  withdrawn  and  the  Tories  allowed  to 
remain  unmolested  in  their  houses;  but  very  many  of  them 
left  from  choice  or  principle.  Among  these  were  the  three 
sons  of  Mrs.  Dulany.  Walter  received  a  commission  as 
captain  (afterwards  major)  in  the  British  Army.  Grafton 
went  to  the  West  Indies,  and  soon  after  died  of  vellow  fever. 
Daniel  went  to  England,  whence  he  never  returned,  but  died 
some  years  after  in  London. 

The  clergy  generally  came  in  for  a  large  share  of  the 
strong  feeling  of  animosity  excited  against  the  government 
and  against  the  Tories.  "  The  oath  of  allegiance  which 
bound  them  to  the  Government  was  particularly  stringent, 
and  at  the  Revolution  out  of  forty-five  parishes  in  Maryland 
twenty-eight  became  vacant.  Only  twenty-five  clergy  took 
the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  State.     The  rest  who  refused  to 


/ 


46  One  ^vin'iivi'^  'Peare  ilgo. 

do  it  surrendered  their  livings;  many  of  them  thus  incurring 
much  discomfort  and  loss.  Many  of  them  returned  to  Eng- 
land, and  among  these  were  some  of  the  hest  men  in  the 
church  and  most  devoted  to  her  interests.  VJhey  came  into 
open  collision  with  the  people  in  the  matter  of  prayers  for 
the  King,  which,  as  being  part  of  the  regular  service  in  the 
Prayer  Book,  they  felt  pledged  not  to  omit  and  which  the 
people  would  not  listen  to.^^ 

"  We  get  some  glimpse,"  says  Dr.  Gambrall,  "  of  the  con- 
dition of  things  in  the  experience  of  Rev.  Mr.  Boucher. 
His  parish  was  in  Prince  George's  county  at  that  time,  and 
here  he  remained  till  the  bitterness  of  the  times  brought 
things  to  a  climax.  This  was  reached  in  1775,  when  he  tells 
us  '  For  more  than  six  months  I  preached  (when  I  did 
preach)  with  a  pair  of  loaded  pistols  lying  on  the  cushion, 
having  given  notice  that  if  any  man  or  men  were  so  lost  to 
all  sense  of  decency  as  to  drag  me  out  of  my  own  pulpit,  I 
•should  think  myself  justified  before  God  and  man  in  repel- 
ling violence.' 

*'  The  eleventh  day  of  May  had  been  appointed  a  day  of 
fasting  and  prayer  by  the  Government,  and  Mr.  Boucher  let 
it  be  known  that  he  would  preach  in  his  church.  But  com- 
ing to  the  church  about  fifteen  minutes  before  the  time  for 
beginning  the  service,  he  found  that  already  his  Curate,  who 
was  a  Republican,  was  in  the  desk,  and  that  a  crowd  of  men 
were  around  the  church  doors.  On  attempting  to  enter,  the 
leader  of  the  people  approached  him,  saying  they  did  not 
want  him  to  preach.  When  he  replied  he  would  either  do  it 
or  lose  his  life.  The  people,  however,  did  not  look  upon 
that  as  the  alternative.     In  the  meantime  he  had  gotten  into 


ZU  (Kepofuttcn  an^  tU  tkv^^*  47 

the  church  and  attempted  with  a  pistol  in  one  hand,  and  a 
sermon  in  the  other,  to  reach  the  pulpit.  But  the  men  were 
as  stubborn  as  he  was,  and  while  respecting  him  enough  not 
to  hurt  him,  they  escorted  him  out  of  church  and  all  the 
way  home  with  music  too,  though  it  was  by  the  Fifer  play- 
ing the  Rogue's  March." 

He,  however,  was  not  intimidated,  for  on  the  next  Sunday 
he  went  to  church  and,  though  amidst  great  confusion, 
preached  his  fast-day  sermon. 

Dr.  Hawks  gives  the' following  estimate  of  Mr.  Boucher's 
character:  "Air.  Boucher  was  no  ordinary  man.  Possessed 
of  a  very  strong  mind,  highly  improved  by  cultivation,  he 
exhibited  the  graces  of  accomplished  scholarship  and 
clothed  his  thoughts  in  language  alike  vigorous  and  elo- 
quent. His  piety  was  of  the  good,  old-fashioned  soHd  char- 
acter that  exhibited  itself  in  a  consistent,  Christian  life;  it 
was  the  religion  that  wears  well;  he  was  not  wanting  in  zeal 
and  fervor,  but  he  thought  more  of  holiness  of  conduct  than 
anything  else.  We  have  before  us  many  of  his  letters,, 
hastily  written  and  in  the  freedom  of  affectionate  confidence. 
Not  one  that  might  not  be  published  just  as  it  is  and  do 
credit  to  the  author's  mind.  But,  what  is  better  yet,  every 
one  of  them  would  do  greater  credit  to  the  writer's  heart. 
It  is  impossible  to  read  them  and  not  perceive  that  the 
writer  is  an  honest  man.  He  formed  his  opinions  calmly, 
and  expressed  them  frankly  and  fearlessly.  He  was  opposed 
to  the  American  War;  he  was  conscientious  in  his  opposi- 
tion: it  cost  him  all  he  had  in  the  world.  His  property  was 
confiscated,  his  person  proscribed,  and  he  was  obliged  to 
flee  for  safety.     Yet  in  these  letters  there  is  a  beautiful  spirit 


48  One  ^unbve^  TjcavQ  il^o. 

of  candor  and  even  of  kindly  feeling  towards  our  country 
and  countrymen.  He  never  lost  his  interest  in  either.  The 
Church  of  America  was  to  the  last,  in  his  heart.  Strongly 
attached  to  the  best  men  among  the  clergy,  he  continued  his 
correspondence  with  them  after  political  convulsions  had 
separated  him  from  them  forever.  Seabury,  Chandler,  and 
White  were  all  his  friends,  the  two  former  regular  corres- 
pondents." 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  his  farewell  sermon:  "  If 
I  am  to  credit  some  surmises  which  have  been  kindly  whis- 
pered in  my  ear,  unless  I  will  forbear  to  pray  for  the  King 
you  are  to  hear  me  pray  no  longer.  Distressing,  however, 
as  the  dilemma  confessedly  is,  it  is  not  one  that  either  re- 
quires or  will  admit  of  a  moment's  hesitation.  Entertaining 
all  respect  for  my  ordination  vows,  I  am  firm  in  my  resolu- 
tion, whilst  I  pray  at  all,  to  conform  to  the  unmutilated 
Liturgy  of  my  Church;  and  reverencing  the  injunction  of 
the  Apostle,  I  will  continue  to  pray  for  the  *  King  and  all  in 
authority  under  him ' :  and  I  will  do  so,  not  only  because  I 
am  so  commanded,  but  hope  '  that  (as  the  Apostle  adds)  we 
may  continue  to  live  quiet  and  peaceable  lives  in  all  Godli- 
ness and  honesty.'  Inclination  as  well  as  duty  confirms  me 
in  this  purpose. 

"  As  long  as  I  live,  therefore,  yes,  while  I  have  my  being, 
will  I,  with  Zadok  the  priest  and  with  Nathan  the  prophet, 
proclaim  '  God  save  the  King.' " 

Mr.  Boucher  now  returned  to  his  native  country,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  In  1784  he  was  pre- 
sented with  the  living  of  Epsom  in  Surrey.  In  1787  he  pub- 
lished a  book  entitled  "  A  View  of  the  Causes  and  Conse- 


quences  of  the  American  Revolution.  Thirteen  Discourses 
dehvered  in  North  America  between   the  years    1763   and 

I775-" 
This   volume  is   dedicated   to    General   Washington,   for 

whose  character  he  entertained  a  profound  respect.  The 
dedication  is  too  long  to  insert  here,  but  General  Washing- 
ton made  a  courteous  acknowledgment. 

He  devoted  his  literary  labors  during  the  last  thirteen 
years  of  his  life  to  the  compilation  of  a  Glossary  of  Pro- 
vincial and  Archaeological  Words,  which  he  intended  as  a 
supplement  to  Dr.  Johnson.  It  was  purchased  after  his 
death  by  the  proprietors  of  Webster's  Dictionary. 

Bishop  Meade  says  of  him:  "This  distinguished  man  was 
ordained  for  the  parish  of  Hanover,  1762.  He  was  the  inti- 
mate friend  of  Washington,  and  was  selected  by  him  as  trav- 
elling companion  and  guide  to  young  Custis,  to  whom  he 
was  tutor  while  in  Annapolis  in  1771." 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  Tory  Family  during  the  Revolution. 

1774-1783- 

T  is  interesting  to  notice  the  different  aspects  which 
events,  that  in  the  distance  have  assumed  to  us 
heroic  proportions,  wore  to  those  who  in  that  day 
witnessed  them  with  disapproving  eyes,  as  was  the 
case  with  many  AnnapoHtans  of  the  higher  class.  Living 
in  the  charming  society  of  their  exquisite  little  city,  edu- 
cated in  English  colleges  and  enriched  by  British  patronage, 
they  were  naturally  averse  to  the  subverting  of  a  condition 
of  things  so  entirely  satisfactory  to  themselves.  Yet  even 
among  those  who,  when  the  great  struggle  became  inevit- 
able, sided  with  the  mother-country,  there  were  some  who 
made  a  manful  resistance  to  the  oppressive  acts  which 
brought  it  en — notably  Daniel  Dulany  the  younger,  whose 
speeches  against  the  Stamp  Acts  were  admired  and  com- 
mended by  Pitt.  I  do  not  doubt  these  men  were  actu- 
ated by  higher  motives  than  self-interest,  and  that  their  loy- 
alty was  genuine  to  a  government  which  they  had  been 
taught  to  reverence  as  part  of  their  religion.  Certainly 
their  interests,  after  war  had  been  proclaimed,  seemed  to  be 
with  the  country  of  their  birth,  where  their  possessions 
chiefly  lay.     Their  loyalty  to  England  entailed  upon  them 


years  of  exile,  and  in  many  instances  the  confiscation  of 
their  estates. 

After  the  burning  of  the  Peggy  Stewart  in  1774,  the  feeUng 
of  hostihty  to  the  government  and  to  its  officers  and  sup- 
porters constantly  increased.  "  The  citizens  met  to  form 
themselves  into  a  company  and  to  select  their  own  officers; 
and  gentlemen  of  the  first  fortune  took  their  place  among  the 
common  soldiers.  Still,  as  late  as  January,  1776,  we  find  that 
although  Mrs.  Dulany  had  accepted  the  invitation  of  the 
'  Council  of  Safety,'  and  after  the  departure  of  her  sons  had 
taken  refuge  at  '  Epping,'  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Fitzhugh,  we  find,  from  her  letter  to  her  friend,  Mr.  Brooke, 
who  appears  to  have  remained  in  the  city,  that  she  consid- 
ered these  as  temporary  disturbances  which  by  wise  action 
on  the  part  of  the  Government  might  still  be  adjusted." 

We  find  that  "  at  this  period  of  gloom  and  general  dis- 
tress balls  were  prohibited  in  this  place  and  throughout  the 
province." 

Effing, /an.  i8th,  1776. 
To  James  Brooke,  Esq. 
D'r  Sir  : 

I  am  much  obliged  for  y'r  agreeable  Favour.  You  can't 
conceive  how  happy  it  makes  me  to  hear  the  most  trifling 
Occurrences  which  happen  among  our  old  Acquaintance. 

I  wish  it  was  in  my  power  to  afford  you  as  much  pleasure 
but  there  is  so  very  little  Variety  amongst  us  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  be  Entertaining. 

We  dined  with  Mrs.  Boyce  on  New  Y'rs  Day  and  with 
neighbour  Gittings  a  few  days  agoe  and  have  several  invita- 


52  One  ^xin'^vt^  "Peave  cE^o. 

tions,  so  that  we  have  now  and  then  an  Opportunity  of 
tucking  a  Napkin  under  our  Chin  and  partaking  of  a  good 
fat  Turkey  &c.  Venison  too  we  have  had  I'll  assure  you! 
which  is  more  than  I  could  get  at  Annapolis:  and  we  feasted 
our  neighbours  aforesaid  upon  a  fine  fat  Haunch,  last  week 
&  any  &  every  one  would  have  taken  great  Delight  in  help- 
ing you  to  some  of  the  choice  cuts. 

You  make  me  very  happy  by  the  acct  you  tell  me  Dennis 
gives  of  my  Family.  It  exactly  corresponds  with  Kitt's  but 
I  did  suspect  hers  was  partly  Puff.  Peggy  I  think  is 
very  fantastical  but  you  must  know  I  can't  help  it.  Grafton 
and  Anthony  have  been  on  a  visit  there  this  month,  and  I 
begin  to  fear  they  have  been  lost  in  some  of  our  waggon 
ruts.  I  think  we  have  many  here  deep  enough  to  swallow 
man  and  horse.     Wishing  you  all  Health  and  Happiness, 

D'r  Sir  Yr's  sincerely 

M.   DULANY. 

Epping,  Fed.  9th,  1776. 
Dear  Sir  : 

As  you  are  so  obliging  as  to  say  you  must  be  unhappy 
till  you  have  obtained  Pardon  for  a  Neglect  which  you 
imagined  I  imputed  to  you — but  which  I  never  did — I  flatter 
myself  I  have  too  much  good-nature  to  be  so  ready  to  take 
amiss  anything  my  particular  Friends  do,  or  omit  to  do, 
without  hearing  what  they  have  to  say  for  themselves. 
And  I  must  say  if  Becky  and  I  had  been  so  Unreasonable 
you  have  amply  acquitted  y'rself  and  come  off  with  flying 
Colours. 

Talking  of  flying  Colours  puts  me  in  mind  of  our  Army 


at  Annapolis,  and  enquiring  whether  you  stand  y'r  ground 
or  we  are  to  wish  you  Joy  of  y'r  Rank  in  the  Army.  I 
think  Coll.  Brooks  would  sound  vastly  well,  &  if  I  were  you 
I  would  be  nothing  else.  God  bless  you !  tell  me  what  you 
and  the  knowing  ones  you  converse  with,  think  of  the  Times 
now?  Particularly  what  of  the  Ambassadors  which  are 
talked  of.  I  have  always  had  Hopes  notwithstanding  Ap- 
pearances were  so  much  against  us  that  something  might 
be  concerted  this  Winter,  to  bring  about  an  Accommodation 
&  think  if  I  was  Prime  Minister  its  just  the  step  I  sh'd  have 
advised.  An  Olive  Branch  in  one  Hand  &  if  that  was  re- 
jected, a  Force  sufficient  in  the  other,  to  put  a  final  end  to 
the  Dispute:  which  must  be  better  for  both  parties  than  the 
cruel  Suspense  we  have  been  in  so  long. 

Mollie  &  her  little  Majesty  are  perfectly  well.  She  is 
really  a  Surprising  child  of  her  Age  and  Opportunitys.  And 
has  a  language  of  her  own,  which  however  we  all  perfectly 
understand,  and  is  very  diverting. 

Deliver  our  loves  &c  as  before  &  believe  me 

Yrs  Sincerely, 

M.  DuLANY,  for  all. 

The  following  extract  is  taken  from  the  Gazette: 

"  On  Tuesday,  March  5th,  1776,  information  was  received 
that  a  man  of  war  and  two  tenders  were  coming  up  the  Bay, 
and  the  general  expectation  was  that  they  would  be  at  An- 
napolis in  a  few  hours.  On  the  8th,  Friday,  intelligence  was 
received  that  the  vessels  were,  the  Otter,  sloop  of  war,  and 
two  tenders;  the  Defence  however  being  got  ready,  Friday 


54  One  ^un^re^  ^zave  ilgo. 

night,  towed  down  the  river  manned  with  a  number  of  brave 
fellows,  all  of  whom  were  Americans  in  their  hearts  attended 
by  several  smaller  vessels  crowded  with  men  to  assist  in  case 
of  an  engagement.  Captain  Nicholson  of  the  '  Defence ' 
got  under  way  early  on  Saturday,  resolved  to  take  Hud- 
son's ship  (a  large  vessel  the  Otter  had  made  a  prize  of)  and 
engage  the  Otter.  The  morning  was  thick  and  hazy  and 
the  '  Defence '  got  nearer  to  them  than  was  expected  before 
they  discovered  her  bearing  down  upon  them.  Those  on 
board  the  tenders  seemed  much  alarmed,  and  on  a  signal 
given  more  hands  were  sent  by  the  '  Otter '  to  assist  in  row- 
ing them  off,  which  was  effected  with  difficulty  leaving  3  or 
4  small  prizes  besides  Hudson's  ship:  all  of  which  fell  into 
the  hands  of  Captain  Nicholson,  w4io  having  manned  the 
prize  ship  and  seeing  the  '  Otter '  get  under  way  clewed  up 
his  courses,  and  prepared  for  battle:  but  the  '  Otter'  having 
waited  two  hours  at  length  bore  away.  Captain  N.  con- 
tinued his  station  some  time  and  having  performed  his  duty 
in  the  most  gallant  manner,  returned  with  his  prizes  to  Bal- 
timore. On  Sunday  the  '  Otter '  sloop  and  her  tenders 
made  sail  and  went  down  the  Bay." 

Mrs.  Diilany  to  James  Brooke,  Esq. 

Epping,  March  14th,  1776. 
Ur  Sir: 

We  are  exceedingly  impatient  to  hear  from  Annapolis 
and  whether  it  is  apprehended  that  the  Town  is  in  danger 
of  a  Desolation. 

Beckv  sends  her  man  down  for  Advice,  as  in  that  case  we 


should  chuse  to  go  down,  to  secure  many  things  which  we 
left  behind,  and  can  by  no  means  Spare.  As  soon  as  she 
heard  of  the  arrival  of  the  Man  of  W'slt  at  Baltimore  she  was 
for  setting  of¥  Immediately:  but  on  considering  the  matter 
we  concluded  that  if  they  came  on  such  an  Errand,  there 
would  have  been  such  a  scene  of  Confusion  and  Distress 
that  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  do  any  thing. 

I  humbly  hope  there  will  be  no  occasion  for  such  an  Ex- 
pedition. We  request  the  Favor  of  you  to  give  us  your 
opinion  whether  it  would  be  expedient  for  us  to  go  down 
for  the  aforesaid  Purpose. 

The  Times  grow  Critical  now:  but  I  please  myself  that  we 
shall  see  you  arrive  ere  long  amongst  us  with  full  Confirma- 
tion of  all  the  Good  News  I  am  in  daily  Expectation  of 
hearing. 

In  the  name  of  all  at  Epping,  Can  you  procure  for  us  a 
pound  or  two  of  Tea:  good  green  if  you  can.  If  not,  good 
Brown  Bohea  will  go  down. 

Very  truly  your's 

Mary  Dulany. 

Mrs.  Thomas  Addison  was  married  to  Mr.  Hanson  in 
177 — .  The  following  letter  to  her  sister,  though  without 
date,  appears  to  belong  to  this  period.  I  presume  paper 
at  this  time  must  have  been  scarce,  as  it  is  written  on  a  leaf 
cut  from  an  old  account  book:  ^ 

Sunday  Evening. 
Mv  dear  Kitty : 

Fleet  comes  down  for  our  things.  I  have  ten  thousand 
things  to  say  to  you  but  have  not  time.     I  have  just  re- 


$6  Ont  'j^unUt'i>  ^cave  il^o. 

turned  from  Carrs,  where  we  dined  with  a  good  round  Com- 
pany. I  beseech  you  my  D^  Kitty  to  send  my  Gowns  by 
Fleet.  I  really  am  in  heavy  distress  for  them.  Here  is  Mrs. 
Custis  a  sweet  lovely  woman  that  I  am  very  anxious  to  be 
civil  to — has  lived  2  months  within  a  few  miles  of  me,  and  I 
have  not  been  able  to  see  her  for  want  of  Cloaths.  I  met 
her  &  that  good  Sally  Allen  the  other  day  at  IMr.  Lee's. 
Sally  promises  to  come  home  with  me  whenever  I  would 
fetch  her.     Dont  you  think  my  case  is  hard. 

Betsy  Calvert  and  C  Steuart  were  here  about  a  week.  I 
think  if  they  are  not  married  soon  they  never  will.  She 
does  not  look  long  for  this  world. 

Nelly  intends  up  with  me.  I'm  in  hopes  it  will  be  the  last 
of  next  week.  I  enclose  a  Lock  of  her  Hair.  She  begs  you 
will  have  a  Cushion  &  every-thing  belonging  to  it,  ready  for 
her  against  she  comes  up,  &  likewise  as  cheap  a  Hatt  as 
posible  to  be  genteel.  Let  us  know  for  very  good  reasons, 
if  Ruffles  are  wore  or  not.  Love  to  Mamma  &  the  Chew 
family  &  believe  me  yr  very  affect 

R.  Hanson. 

Letter  from  Mrs.  Hanson  to  her  brother  Walter  at  New  York. 

OxoN  Hill,  Aug.  27th,  1781. 

Your  letter  my  dearest  Brother  gave  me  the  greatest 
pleasure,  as  it  informed  me  of  your  health  and  that  you  were 
come  once  more  into  the  world,  for  you  really  seemed  quite 
out  of  it  at  Pensacola.  I  have  long  wished  for  an  oppor- 
tunity of  writing  to  you  but  they  are  so  seldom  to  be  met 
with,  that  I  almost  despair  of  getting  a  letter  to  you. 


The  idea  of  having  what  I  write  pass  the  inspection  of  the 
PubHc  was  very  disagreeable  &  I  assure  you  it  required  not 
a  Httle  Resolution.  However  rather  than  suffer  you  to 
think  for  a  moment  that  I  am  capable  of  slighting  you,  I 
would  freely  submitt  to  have  my  letters  examined  by  all  the 
World,  hoping  that  when  they  had  satisfied  their  Curiosity 
— as  they  can  be  of  no  value  to  them — they  will  be  kind 
enough  to  let  you  have  them. 

I  believe  that  I  can  begin  with  nothing  that  will  give  you 
more  pleasure  than  to  tell  you  that  we  are  all  well  &  as 
happy  as  the  Times — and  being  separated  from  so  many  of 
our  Dearest  Ones — will  admit  of.  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Fitz-hugh 
have  been  the  greatest  part  of  the  summer  and  still  are  with 
us.  Their  three  children  (with  my  youngest  little  Nan 
Hanson)  have  been  Inoculated  for  the  Small  Pox,  which 
they  all  got  over  very  happily. 

I  know  that  you  will  be  happy  to  hear  that  my  D'r  Boys 
have  an  exceeding  good  Tutor  at  home  and  are  very  good 
and  anxious  to  be  clever  fellows.  They  are  constantly 
talking  of  you.  Harry  always  joins  them:  he  says  he  re- 
members you  very  well.  He  w^as  a  year  old  when  you  left 
him.  I'll  leave  it  to  you  to  believe  him  or  not.  In  case  you 
do  not  don't  be  uneasy.  I  think  he  is  not  much  given  to 
lying — it  seems  hard  he  should  be  the  only  ignorant  one  on 
a  subject  of  such  importance,  as  what  "  Uncle  Watty  "  would 
say  or  do. 

Polly  has  grown  a  great  girl.  Some  are  of  opinion  she 
will  be  tolerably  Handsome.  Of  this  I  am  no  judge.  I 
know  she  is  a  very  good  girl  which  satisfies  me.  I  have 
said  enough  about  the  Brats,  I  think,  and  will  proceed  to 


5  8  One  ^urx'^vc'^  'X)ear0  dtlgo. 

give  you  some  account  of  your  acquaintances  in  this  neigh- 
borhood. 

Your  old  friend  Carr  &  his  Lady  are  well  and  have  three 
very  fine  children.  Col.  Addison  is  well  and  Mrs  Addison 
recovering  from  a  very  bad  state  of  health.  They  have  had 
two  children  since  you  left  us.  Indeed,  my  dear  Walter,  the 
Neighborhood  is  entirely  ruined  by  the  vast  number  of  chil- 
dren that  have  sprung  up  among  us.  There  are  no  less  than 
twenty-two  Children  just  in  the  families  of  y'r  acquaintances 
here :  and  my  Watty  the  eldest.  I  tell  you  this  that  if  at  any 
time  you  should  feel  a  more  than  common  Inclination  to  be 
amongst  us,  only  fancy  you  have  ten  or  a  dozen  Children 
hanging  about  you  and  thank  your  stars  you  are  a  hundred 
miles  ofif.  .  .  . 

I  think  it  is  now  time  to  enquire  after  my  friends  in 
England.  I  suppose  you  often  have  the  happiness  of  hear- 
ing from  them.  Pray  write  to  me  by  the  first  Opportunity. 
I  desire  that  you  will  be  very  Particular  in  your  account  of 
my  dearest  Peggy  and  her  family:  and  do  remember  me  in 
the  most  tender  manner  to  them  &  my  brother  when  you 
write:  also  to  Uncle  Lloyd  and  his  Lady  &  Mr.  &  Mrs. 
Boucher  I  beg  to  be  remembered.  I  sincerely  hope  they 
are  all  well  and  happy.  Please  give  my  love  to  Uncle  Addi- 
son and  my  very  respectful  compliments  to  your  Good 
Friend  Mr.  Garnett,*  tho'  I  have  not  the  pleasure  of  a  Per- 
sonal Acquaintance  with  him:  he  has  endeared  himself  to 
me  forever,  &  shall  ever  have  my  warmest  wishes  for  his 
happiness. 


*Mr.  Gainett  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life  had  nursed  Grafton  Dulany  in 
yellow  fever. 


dEl  ^orj  ^amx^^.  59 

Mr.  Hanson  desires  his  love  and  all  the  Children  beg  to  be 
remembered  to  their  "  dear  Uncle  Watty." 

I  conclude,  wishing  you  every  happiness  this  world  can 
afford,  assuring  you  that  I  am  and  ever  shall  be 

My  dearest  W.,  your  truly  affect.  Sister 

R.  Hanson. 
To  Capt.  Walter  Dulany. 

Examined  &  allowed 

Jas.  Carleton,  Sec. 

The  following  letter  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Montgomery 
gives  a  little  picture  of  the  life  of  the  exiles  in  London : 

London,  Oct.  4,  1781. 

Mj'  dear  Madam  :  I  have  written  to  you  and  the  family 
repeatedly  but  have  never  received  a  line  from  any  of  you 
save  a  short  letter  from  Mr.  Fitzhugh.  Thank  God  we 
often  hear  of  your  welfare.  We  are  particularly  happy  in 
being  assured  that  you  bear  the  troubles  that  have  fallen  you 
in  these  inauspicious  times,  with  that  patience  and  resigna- 
tion of  spirit  which  ought  ever  to  characterize  those  who 
believe  in  a  Providence  and  the  realities  of  the  world  to 
come. 

Daniel  has  not  been  in  town  for  a  considerable  time.  All 
friends  here  without  exception,  are  well.  There  is  scarcely 
one  of  them  with  whom  this  Country  does  not  agree  most 
wondrously:  Mr.  Lloyd  Dulany  in  particular  looks  ten  years 
younger  than  he  did  eight  years  ago  &  as  to  Airs.  Dulany, 
she  really  does  honor  to  Md.     She  is  quite  beautiful  &  en- 


6o  One  '^vin^vt'ii  'X)eav0  cEgo. 

gaging.  We  have  found  an  acquaintance  here  both  male 
&  female  emminently  respectable  &  our  situation  on  the 
whole  is  far  from  uncomfortable.  ... 

God  bless  you  all 

John  Montgomery. 

To  James  Brooke ^  Esq. 

Annapolis,  29th  May,  1781. 
Dear  Sir  : 

Believe  me  I  was  truly  Rejoiced  to  hear  from  you.  In- 
deed it  is  so  long  since  I  had  that  Satisfaction  that  I  began 
to  fear  our  good  friend  was  lost  to  us. 

The  good  news  you  give  me  of  my  Folks  adds  not  a  little 
to  my  happiness  as  I  have  been  under  great  anxiety  on  that 
account. 

The  *'  lie  "  of  last  night  was  truly  dreadful  nothing  less  than 
an  Express  said  to  have  been  given  the  Marquis  informing 
that  Cornwallis  had  joined  Philips  at  Fredericksburg.  You 
know  I  am  a  piece  of  a  Philosopher,  and  above  being 
Frightened  by  such  improbable  lies.  It  is  said  too  that  he 
entreats  that  more  men  be  sent  him,  as  he  is  in  a  distressful 
condition:  but  its  all  of  a  piece:  I  am  determined  not  to 
mind  it. 

I  met  with  a  terrible  Rebuff  on  my  coming  home,  and 
with  all  my  Philosophy  have  not  been  able  -to  quiet  my  mind 
or  keep  a  steady  hand  since.  I  use  every  Effort  to  this  End, 
and  in  time  I  make  no  doubt  I  shall  attain  all  that  I  have 
hopes  of  in  this  life:  a  tolerable  Tranquillity  of  mind.     This 


is  all  that  I  expect  and  this  I  trust  the  remainder  of  my  life 
may  at  least  be  checquered  with. 

Remember  me  to  the  Dr.  &  Mrs.  Scott.     God  bless  you. 
I  am  dear  Sir  very  since'ly  &  afifect'ly, 

M.     DULANY. 

P.  S.     Kitt  has  gone  to  visit  y'r  flame. 

"Kitt"  was  the  only  one  of  her  large  family  remaining 
with  her.  Peggy  having  married  the  Rev.  John  Montgom- 
ery, had  accompanied  him  to  England,  where  they  were  now 
living.  Mollie,  married  to  Mr.  Fitzhugh,  was  living  at  Ep- 
ping,  an  estate  allowed  her  by  Congress  in  Dulany  Valley. 

Frojn  Mr.  Fitzhugh. 

Epping,  Feb.  22,  1781. 
Dear  Wat: 

How  heartily  do  I  join  in  most  earnest  wishes  for  the 
arrival  of  that  era  in  which  Peace  shall  restore  you  to  the 
embraces  of  your  Mother.  Mrs.  D.  being  now  at  Oxon 
Hill  is  prevented  from  writing  by  this  opp't'y.  Mrs.  D's 
Headquarters  are  at  Annapolis,  but  Becky  &  Molly  have 
required  her  presence  to  direct  in  making  caudle  so  fre- 
quently that  Epping  «Sz;  Oxon  Hill  have  enjoyed  the  greatest 
part  of  her  Company,  which  her  very  excellent  health  & 
cheerful  disposition  have  combined  to  render  very  desireable. 

Molly  still  attends  to  the  Harpsichord  though  she  has 
been  married  upwards  of  six  years.  She  will  not  acknow- 
ledge my  right  to  the  merit  of  it — which  is  really  the  case — 


62  One  T^unlxc'^  '^eate  ilgo. 

&  I  intend  to  make  her  play  when  she  is  grayheaded  if  we 
continue  together  so  long.     Kitty  is  well  &  sings. 

To  Capt.  Dulany  of  the  Maryland  Loyalists,  Pensacola. 

Airs.  Dulany  to  her  son  Walter. 

Annapolis,  23  April,  1781. 
My  dear  Watty: 

I  am  exceedingly  obliged  by  your  kind  attention  to  me, 
and  I  take  the  EarHest  opportunity  to  assure  you  that  I  am 
and  have  always  been  clearly  of  opinion  that  going  to  Eng- 
land as  soon  may  be,  is  far  more  Eligible  for  you  than 
returning  to  us  at  present.  Many  of  my  friends  have  (with 
design  no  doubt  to  make  me  happy)  told  me  that  I  might 
expect  to  see  you  very  shortly,  but  it  had  a  very  different 
effect.  Last  week  a  man  came  from  Bait,  and  told  some  of 
my  friends  he  had  seen  you  there  the  day  before.  This 
story  was  too  absurd  to  be  believed  for  a  moment  or  I 
should  have  been  Excessively  Shocked. 

You  know  I  am  sure  that  nothing  can  possibly  give  me 
greater  joy  than  to  see  you  at  the  proper  time  which  I  think 
is  very  far  from  being  the  case  at  present — to  say  the  truth 
if  you  could  come  with  perfect  safety  a  short  visit  would  by 
no  means  satisfy  me  or  any  of  y'r  friends — and  as  I  do  sup- 
pose it  would  be  infinitely  more  for  your  pecuniary  ad- 
vantage to  make  your  appearance  with  the  troops  than  to  go 
some  time  hence,  my  advice  is  to  go  by  all  means  tmless  you 
have  good  reason  and  other  advice  from  other  friends  who 
know  more  of  these  things  than  I  can  do.  Pray  let  me 
know  y'r  determination  as  soon  as  possible.     I  pray  God  to 


bless  &  prosper  you  in  all  y'r  undertakings  and  this  I  can 
say  Amen  to  very  fervently  knowing  my  own  dear  Walter 
will  never  embark  in  any  but  what  are  laudable.  If  I  am  so 
happy  as  to  hear  of  y'r  safe  arrival  in  England  I  shall  scon 
begin  to  please  myself  with  the  hopes  of  seeing  you  happily 
before  long,  when  I  hope  &  have  reason  to  believe  that  all 
animosities  &  distinctions  of  Whig  &  Tory  will  be  over- 
thrown. I  assure  you  we  are  very  good-humoured  here,  & 
seem  well  disposed  for  this  desirable  event. 

For  my  own  part  I  have  been  treated  in  the  most  friendly 
manner — by  many  from  whom  I  had  no  right  to  expect  any 
favors — since  my  return  to  this  place,  and  were  it  not  for  the 
absence  of  many  dear  folks  whose  society  I  had  long  been 
accustomed  to  consider  essential  to  me  I  should  be  happy 
as  most.  That  is  to  say,  I  enjoy  a  kind  of  tranquillity  which 
in  my  estimation  is  preferable  to  high  spirits. 

You  have  been  informed  that  I  am  gay.  No,  that  can 
never  happen  till  my  dear  long-lost  sheep  are  restored  to  me. 

I  am  mv  dear  Y'r  niost  affect  Mother 

M.    DULANY. 

P.  S.  Your  kitchen  &  wash  house  acquaintances  beg  to 
be  remembered  to  you.  Sue  is  very  happy  in  having  Tom 
with  you:  but  my  dear  I  must  caution  you  to  beware  of 
Tom:  he  certainly  has  been  a  sly  artful  rogue  &  I  believe 
these  propensities  seldom  abate  with  years  without  a  better 
basis  than  I  am  afraid  poor  Tom  has  for  his  amendment:  in 
short  I  have  no  doubt  that  he  possesses  those  qualities  to 
this  day  to  an  eminent  degree.  Therefore  put  not  much 
confidence  in   him — indeed   if  his   only  employment  be   to 


64  One  ^un^re^  'I)ear0  Jl^o. 

wait  on  you  in  such  a  place  as  New  York  I  expect  very 
shortly  to  hear  of  his  Exaltation.  So  in  charity  to  him  I 
advise  you  to  hire  him  out  and  endeavor  to  procure  a  faith- 
ful attendant  for  y'rself. 

The  address  on  the  back  of  this  letter  is  Capt.  Dulany. 
The  seal  appears  to  have  been  broken  before  it  reached  him, 
for  it  is  indorsed:  ''War  Office  Sep  loth  1781.  Examined 
&  allowed.     Jos.  Carlton  Sec." 

Mrs.  Dulany  to  her  so7i  Capt.  Dulany  at  New  York. 

My  Dear  Watty  : 

About  two  months  ago  I  wrote  you  &  enclosed  letters 
for  y'r  brother  &  Peggy  Montgomery,  but  as  I  am  very 
apprehensive  from  the  uncertainty  of  their  conveyance  that 
they  may  not  have  reached  y'r  hands,  I  must  again  tell  you 
that  y'r  friends  here  are  all  well,  and  happy  in  having  all  our 
dear  little  ones  just  recovered  from  the  small  pox. 

Fitzhugh's  family  are  all  at  Oxon  Hill,  but  I  hope  soon  to 
have  them  in  town,  for  really  Kitty  and  I  are  quite  over- 
powered with  empty  rooms.  Need  I  tell  you  dear  Watt 
how  happy  it  would  make  us  all  if  you  would  be  one  among 
us  and  enliven  your  own  room  again — but  this  will  not  bear 
to  talk  or  even  think  of.     God's  will  be  done. 

Continue  to  be  as  worthy  as  you  always  were  when  I  had 
the  happiness  of  your  acquaintance  &  I  have  not  a  doubt 
but  we  shall  meet  &  be  forever  happy  in  a  better  world 
from  whence  we  may  look  down  with  composure  on  the  idle 
bustles  &  contentions  of  this  world. 

Kitty  will  give  you  an  account  of  Betsy  Key's  wedding 


from  which  we  ai'e  just  returned.  It  was  celebrated  at  Bel- 
voir  where  was  a  large  company  of  us  for  several  days  to- 
gether. You  may  be  sure  we  all  exerted  ourselves  to  be  as 
clever  &  agreeable  as  possible  and  I  think  we  succeeded 
amazingly  well  considering  the  heat  of  the  weather,  there 
was  not  a  frown  or  a  twisted  face  the  whole  time.  All  in- 
deed were  truly  happy  in  her  fine  prospects  of  happiness 
with  the  Gentleman  of  her  choice. 

I  hope  you  have  gotten  our  dear  Phil*  with  you  before 
this:  if  so,  give  my  love  to  him  and  congratulate  him  for 
me  on  this  occasion. 

Mj^s.  Dulany  to  he7'  son  Walter. 

7.^     ,        Txr  Epping,  Auo;.  7th,  1783. 

My  dear  Watty :  >        <b    /     >     /    0 

I  have  received  two  of  y'r  dear  letters  since  my  arrival 
here.  And  as  Molly  was  not  prepared  for  employing  me  so 
soon  as  I  expected  in  the  business  for  which  I  came — not  to 
be  idle — we  made  use  of  the  interim  in  marrying  up  Kitty. 

This  affair  has  been  long  in  agitation  &  I  thought  it  en- 
tirely at  an  end:  however  as  he  was  the  man  of  her  choice 
(for  indeed  she  has  had  many  offers)  &  as  his  prospects  must 
have  much  mended  I  consented  to  it  freely  &  earnestly 
recommend  him  to  y'r  regard  as  a  Brother.  From  a  pretty 
long  acquaintance  I  have  reason  to  believe  he  is  possessed 
of  an  excellent  heart  which  with  me  is  the  Summum  Bo- 
num.  He  has  been  settled  in  Chestertown  but  Kitty  to 
whom  the  Assemblyf  granted  400  acres  of  the  land  at  Ep- 

*  Philip  Barton  Key. 

t  The  lands  belonging  to  the  Dulanys  were  confiscated  except  400 
acres  granted  to  each  of  the  daughters  in  Baltimore  County. 


66  ^ne  ]E}\in'i>vt^  'X)ear0  ilgo. 

ping  chooses  to  fix  here  which  is  a  most  convincing  proof 
of  her  love  to  me  as  she  ahvays  had  a  fixed  aversion  to  the 
place.  Mr.  Hanson  &  Becky  &  Polly  Addison,  the  Miss 
Murdocks  &  Nancy  Dulany  were  our  wedding  guests:  they 
have  all  left  us. 

I  am  happy  to  tell  you  Becky's  three  boys  are  put  to  a 
worthy  clergyman  very  capable  of  improving  them.  I  had 
the  most  pleasing  account  from  her  of  his  management  of 
them.  I  hope  in  a  short  time  matters  may  be  so  adjusted 
as  to  make  it  practicable  to  send  them  where  you  wish. 
Your  anxiety  about  them  discovers  you  to  be  my  own  dear 
Wat  still;  notwithstanding  the  dissipated  life  you  necessarily 
must  have  led,  it  has  not  had  any  of  the  ill  eiTects  which 
might  have  been  feared.  "  De  chile  "  just  comes  in  to  desire 
her  love  &  compliments  to  her  uncle  &  desires  me  to  tell  you 
she  can  read  a  little  &  spell  very  well  and  that  her  aunt  Kitty 
began  yesterday  to  teach  her  her  notes  on  the  Spinnet  &  she 
hopes  to  be  able  to  play  y'r  favorite  March  by  the  time  you 
come  home.  Will  is  a  fine  rustical  boy,  &  y'r  namesake 
every  one  says  as  like  you  as  he  can  stare  &  the  sweetest 
prattler  I  ever  knew.  Oh,  how  I  long  to  have  you  partake 
of  our  Domestic  felicity. 

With  the  most  fervent  prayers  for  y'r  felicity  here  &  here- 
after &  a  happy  meeting  somewhere  dear  Watt 

Y'r  affect  Mother 

Dulany  Manor  contained  20,000  acres.  That  part  of  the 
estate  inherited  by  Walter  Dulany  lay  in  Baltimore  county, 
and  is  still  known  as  Dulany  Valley.  It  included  5000 
acres.     His   sons  being  loyalists   and  in  arms  against  the 


colonial  government,  their  property  was  confiscated;  but  his 
brother  Dennis,  who  died  unmarried  at  the  opening  of  the 
war,  left  his  entire  estate  to  his  sister-in-law,  Mary  Grafton 
Dulany,  and  Congress  allowed  400  acres  to  each  of  her  three 
daughters 'who  remained  in  this  country. 

Annapolis,  23  April,  1783. 
My  dear  Wat  : 

. .  .Thursday  our  races  begin  and  Kitty  has  just  gone  off 
in  a  superb  Phaeton  &  four  with  a  very  flaming  beau  to  the 
ground.  I  don't  know  his  name.  Yesterday  was  his  first 
appearance  with  our  infinity  of  French  Beaux  all  of  whom 
are  very  gallant.  Anthony  did  not  reach  here  till  last  night 
and  he  &  Carr  breakfasted  with  us  to-day.  They  too  are 
gone  to  see  the  race  &  I  stayed  at  home  to  give  you  my 
advice. 

We  have  a  dismal  set  of  players  too  who  will  act  every 
night  of  this  joyous  week. 

To-morrow  we  celebrate  Peace.  I  hear  there  is  to  be  a 
grand  dinner  on  Squire  Carroll's  Point,  a  whole  ox  to  be 
roasted  &  I  can't  tell  how  many  sheep  &  calves  besides  a 
world  of  other  things.  Liquor  in  proportion.  The  whole 
to  conclude  with  illuminations  &  squibs  &c.  I  had  liked  to 
have  forgot  to  mention  the  Ball  which  I  think  had  better  be 
postponed.  I  am  horribly  afraid  our  gentlemen  will  have 
lighter  heads  than  heels.  I  think  to  keep  myself  snug  at 
home  &  pray  no  mischief  may  happen  &  for  Kitt's  safe  re- 
turn from  the  Ball.  By  Toney  I  heard  that  all  were  well  at 
Epping,  and  by  Carr  the  same  agreeable  intelligence  from 
Potomack.     I   have  more  reason   than   Swift  had  to  wish 


68  ^ne  l^unbre^  '^eare  cEgo. 

that  I  could  ''  split  my  worship's  self  in  twain."  I  have  often 
been  fantastical  enough  to  wish  for  Wings  &  now  I  have 
more  occasion  for  them  than  ever.  If  I  could  have  attained 
this  Perfection  I  should  have  had  frequent  tete-a-tetes  with 
you  I  assure  you:  but  "I  can't  get  out"  says  the  starling. 
One  thing  I  am  perfectly  clear  in:  If  I  should  escape  out  of 
this  cage  of  flesh  before  my  children  return  to  me,  I  shall 
see  them  &  hover  round  them  wherever  they  are  &  sure  I 
am  that  eye  hath  not  seen  more  joy  than  I  should  feel  on 
beholding  them  steadily  adhering  to  those  virtuous  prin- 
ciples which  were  instilled  into  them  in  their  infancy  &  so 
strongly  enforced  by  the  precept  &  example  of  their  most 
excellent  father — allways  bearing  in  mind  that  the  least  devi- 
ation from  virtue  is  a  step  in  vice.  I  have  been  so  delighted 
with  this  thought  that  I  have  sometimes  wished,  earnestly 
wished  for  its  accomplishment. 

Now  don't  be  alarmed  &  conclude  I  am  tired  of  life  or 
impatient  at  the  rubs  of  the  world:  these  are  merely  flights 
of  Fancy  which  I  would  not  be  debarred  from  for  any 
earthly  felicity:  there  cannot  be  any  harm  in  them. 

The  shoes  &c  came  ytry  opportunely  for  Kitty,  just  t\vo 
days  before  our  gaiety  commences.  They  are  very  pretty. 
You  must  accept  her  thanks  thro'  me,  as  she  is  entirely 
taken  up  at  present  &  will  be  for  several  days.  Be  pleased 
to  accept  my  thanks  for  the  very  pretty  handkerchief.  I'll 
wear  it  &  think  of  you. 

I  am  my  dear  Wat  Y'r  afifect.  Mother 

M.   DULANY. 


/^r^;;^  Major  Walter  Dulany  to  his  sister  Mrs.  Fitzhugh. 

London,  Atig.  8th,  1784. 
My  dear  Sister  : 

To  you  I  must  confess  myself  indebted  a  letter.  The  one 
I  sent  being  of  a  nature  that  made  it  truly  distressing  to 
receive — I  mean  the  account  of  Mrs.  Bouchers  death. 

I  think  I  promised  a  description  of  this  place,  but  my 
inability  to  perform  this  task  is  one  reason  for  my  silence. 
I  believe  there  are  few  men  in  London  who  have  lived  so 
long  in  it  as  I  have  that  know  so  little  of  the  place.  I  have 
been  to  no  public  ammusements  but  the  Plays  &  to  very  few 
of  them.  I  must  confess  I  was  disappointed  at  the  first  I 
went  to  for  though  there  were  some  of  the  performers  who 
answered  the  highest  expectations,  there  were  others  below 
mediocrity,  and  I  must  agree  with  those  who  assert  that 
some  of  Douglass's  Company  might  be  introduced  to  ad- 
vantage. 

There  is  a  Mrs.  Siddons,  whose  fame  I  dont  doubt  has 
reached  Maryland,  who  does  every  part  she  undertakes  with 
wonderful  exactness.  She  so  well  assumes  the  character 
that  one  might  easily  mistake  it  for  reality,  did  not  the  awk- 
ward figures  around  her  put  us  in  mind  that  they  are  only 
acting.  Though  I  have  seen  little  of  this  place  I  venture  to 
pass  one  opinion  upon  it,  that  it  must  be  of  all  others  the 
most  delightful  for  an  unconnected  man  in  easy  circum- 
stances. There  is  nothing  one  can  wish  or  want  that  is  not 
to  be  had  for  money,  nor  as  far  as  I  can  see,  any-thing  with- 
out it.  Could  I  have  spent  one  year  or  two  here  in  a  suit- 
able way  I  should  have  been  pleased  with  it,  but  for  perma- 


70  ^ne  l^un^teb  '^eate  cEgo. 

nently  settling,  no  country  can  ever  be  so  agreeable  to  me, 
as  that  where  the  chief  of  my  connexions  lay.  When  a  man 
is  gay — general  acquaintances  are  pleasant  to  him,  but  it  is  in 
the  conversation  of  his  intimate  friends  that  are  dear  to  him 
alone,  that  any  solid  satisfaction  is  to  be  found.  When  a 
man  has  been  buffeting  about  in  the  world  and  had  an  op- 
portunity of  observing  the  characters  of  mankind,  he  does 
not  so  easily  give  up  his  heart  to  every  agreeable  person  he 
meets  with,  without  which  there  is  little  pleasure  in  society. 
I  spend  the  greatest  part  of  my  time  at  Mr.  Montgomerys, 
with  my  brother  and  such  of  my  American  acquaintances  as 
are  here.  Unfortunately  for  me  Mr.  &  Mrs.  M.  &  Mrs. 
Dulany  are  all  out  of  town  just  now.  The  two  former  are 
gone  to  bathe  their  little  girl — &  Mrs.  Lloyd  Dulany  with 
some  ladies  to  Brighthelmstone,  a  very  fashionable  watering 
place.  She  is  a  most  charming  woman  &  her  company  is 
peculiarly  delightful  to  me. 

This  letter  is  favored  by  Mr.  Chase,  whom  I  waited  on  to 
consult  him  on  the  propriety  of  my  return.  He  advises  it 
by  all  means  but  of  this  more  in  my  letter  to  my  mother. 
My  best  love  to  Mr.  Fitzhugh  and  my  dear  little  nephews  & 
nieces  &  compliments  to  all  friends  and  acquaintances. 

My  dear  sister  y'r  most  truly  affect 

Walt.  Dulany. 

PART  OF  A  PRAYER 

Found  among  the  papers  of  Maj.   Walter   Dulany   and 
written  after  his  return  to  America  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
"  I  return  Thee  O  Most  Merciful  &l  Gracious  Father,  my 


dEl  ^otrp  ^^^mtfj. 


7 


most  humble  and  hearty  thanks  for  ah  Thy  Goodness  and 
Loving  Kindness  to  us  and  to  our  famihes — both  in  the 
evils  we  have  escaped  through  Thy  Kind  and  Providential 
care — and  in  the  blessings  which  Thou  hast  hitherto  been 
pleased  to  vouchsafe  to  our  ever  dear  Mother.  I  pray  Thee 
to  grant  her,  an  increase  and  long  continuance  of  them  both 
Keep  her  from  the  infirmities  of  old  age  and  grant  that  she 
may  pass  through  this  world  Thy  faithful  servant,  in  health 
and  contentment  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  all  the  felicity  it  is 
capable  of  affording  and  go  into  Everlasting  Bliss  in  the 
world  to  come. 

I  return  Thee  thanks  for  the  support  Thou  was  pleased  to 
af¥ord  iis  whilst  thrown  upon  the  bounty  of  strangers  and 
the  mercy  of  enemies;  for  the  signal  aid  Thou  didst  vouch- 
safe us  whilst  struggling  with  innumerable  difficulties  and 
embarrassments,  and  for  the  ample  provisions  of  the  gifts  of 
this  world,  and  I  pray  Thee  so  to  guide  us  that  the  whole  of 
our  conduct  both  in  the  manner  of  obtaining,  and  the  man- 
ner of  using,  the  gifts  of  fortune,  may  be  truly  exemplary 
and  unexceptionable." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

School  Life  in  England. 
1 784- 1 789. 

N  August,  1784,  Walter  D.  Addison  and  his  two 
brothers,  with  their  cousin,  John  Carr,  set  sail  for 
1 1  London;  but  before  leaving  America  they  went  to 
^  Annapolis  to  bid  adieu  to  their  grandmother,  who 
entrusted  to  them  the  following  letter  to  their  uncle.  Major 
Dulany: 

Aug-.  St/i,  1784. 
jWj/  dear  Watt 

I  earnestly  pray  that  you  may  receive  this  safe  at  the  hands 
of  your  Nephews,  whom  I  am  sure  you  will  be  rejoiced  to 
see.  I  know  you  have  long  wished  to  have  them  in  Eng- 
land, &  this  is  as  soon  as  it  could  possibly  be  accomplished. 
You  will  hear  from  the  "  Potomackers  "  by  the  boys.  They 
are  now  on  a  Visit  to  me,  to  take  leave,  which  goes  a  little 
hard  with  me. 

As  I  am  to  lose  them  in  a  day  or  two,  I  am  fond  of  having 
as  much  of  their  Company  as  I  can.  You  must  therefore 
excuse  a  short  letter.  Kitty  left  me  three  days  ago  with  her 
Husband  &  a  smart  little  boy  Til  assure  you.  They  are 
gone  to  settle  at  Epping.  I  hope  this  same  Husband  & 
child  will  furnish  her  with  sufficient  employment  to  reconcile 


^cgoof  Bife  in  Sn^fan^.  73 

her   to    her    Exilement,    for    such    she    will    consider    it    at 
Present.     I  shall  be  at  a  great  loss  for  her. 
God  bless  you  dear  Watt. 

M.    DULANY. 

"  In  August,   1784,  they  embarked  (writes  my  uncle)  at    \ 
Alexandria,  in  a  ship  bound  for  London,  where  they  arrived     ' 
after  a  passage  of  ninety  days.     The  Rev.  Jonathan  Boucher 
received  them  under  his  care,  and  exercised  the  most  parental 
supervision  over  them  while  they  remained  in  England.     He 
had  been  married  to  their  aunt,  Eleanor  Addison,  but  was 
at  this  time  a  widower.    The  boys  looked  rather  outre  in  their 
American-made  garments,"^'  and  to  spare  them  the  ridicule  of 
the  London  boys,  they  were  taken  to  a  tailor's  establish- 
ment and  rigged  out  in  suitable  apparel.     They  were  placed 
at  a  classical  school  at  Greenwich,  where  they  continued  till 
1787.     At  this  school  an  East  Indian,  a  violent  young  man,     / 
much  his  senior  in  years  and  superior  in  strength,  alluded  to    / 

*  At  the  close  of  the  war  there  was  a  great  effort  made  to  encourage 
home  manufactures  and  to  check  the  importation  of  cloth.  Mr.  Fitzhugh, 
writing  in  1779  to  a  friend  on  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland,  in  favor 
of  home-made  cloth,  says  :  "  Our  all  now  depends  on  our  industry 
and  frugality.  Till  the  Stamp  Act  made  its  appearance  there  was 
scarcely  anything  from  England  which  was  not  admired  and  imitated, 
even  the  most  absurd  fashions,  but  now  the  case  has  been  altered  and 
reversed."  English  cloth  was  therefore  hard  to  get,  and  English  fashions 
were  no  longer  the  rule  :  so  that  the  little  country  boys  were  left  to  get 
their  outfit  in  London,  and  no  doubt  looked  very  quaint  in  their  home- 
spun garments.  Everything  which  marked  them  as  Americans  was 
calculated  at  that  time  to  make  them  unpopular  with  English  boys, 
and  it  was  therefore  quite  important  that  their  dress  should  not  be 
remarkable. 


74  One  l^un^re^  "^eate  il^o. 

the  "wilderness"  from  which  the  young  Addisons  came, 
and  the  uncouth  character  of  its  citizens.  Being  of  a  hot 
and  impetuous  disposition,  Walter  turned  on  him  and  told 
him  that  such  a  sarcasm  ill  became  one  whose  complexion 
and  hair  proclaimed  him  a  savage.  The  Hindostanee,  in  a 
rage,  made  an  assault  upon  him,  and  a  fierce  and  most  un- 
equal battle  would  have  ensued  but  for  the  interposition  of  a 
youth  his  superior  in  strength  and  courage." 

The  following  account  of  this  period  of  his  life  is  given 
in  Mr.  Addison's  own  words: 

"We  were  removed  to  Epsom,  a  village  about  fifteen 
miles  from  London,  that  we  might  be  under  the  more  im- 
mediate charge  of  our  uncle  (who  was  Rector  of  this  Parish), 
and  placed  under  the  tuition  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Golding,  his 
Curate.  Here  a  new  scene  presented  itself.  The  school 
consisted  only  of  four  boys :  John  Carr,  the  son  of  my  guar- 
dian, my  two  brothers,  and  myself.  Here  we  were  beyond 
the  contagion  of  evil  company.  Mr.  Golding  was  a  man  of 
high  literary  attainments  and  most  exalted  piety. 

"  With  all  these  advantages,  I  am  sorry  to  add,  more  than 
a  year  elapsed  before  any  serious  or  lasting  impressions  were 
made  upon  my  mind  in  relation  to  Eternal  things. 

"In  1788  my  uncle  requested  us  to  make  a  Catalogue  of 
his  Library.  In  preparing  it  we  were  obliged  to  use  a  ladder 
to  reach  the  upper  shelves.  From  it  I  had  a  fall,  which 
occasioned  me  severe  injuries  which  confined  me  to  my  couch 
for  a  considerable  time." 

("While  suffering  from  this  accident,"  says  his  son,  Dr. 
E.  B.  A.,  "  a  letter  came  from  Oxon  Hill  telling  of  the  death 
of  Mr.  Olney,  the  old  gardener.     This  intelligence  made  a 


^cgoof  Bift  in  6ngfan^.  75 

strong  impression  on  his  mind,  and  the  image  of  the  man'  in 
the  habihments  of  the  grave  was  often  before  him.") 

"  In  my  soHtary  moments  most  serious  thoughts  were 
awakened  in  my  mind:  deep  remorse  and  strong  conviction 
of  my  former  sins  seized  upon  me.  Death,  the  King  of 
Terrors,  appeared  to  me  and  tormented  me  with  the  most 
excruciating  fears.  While  in  the  midst  of  this  distress  I 
was  awakened  to  a  sense  of  Divine  things  by  a  remarkable 
dream. 

"  I  dreamt  that  I  was  on  my  way  to  the  Doctor's  to  con- 
sult him  about  my  foot,  and  as  I  went  I  found  the  road 
rough  &  miry. 

"  Two  females  vested  in  white  appeared  on  the  roadside, 
who  addressed  themselves  the  one  to  the  other  in  these 
words :  '  Poor  fellow,  he  is  going  to  a  sorry  Physician :  he 
must  look  to  Jesus  and  the  word  of  God — there  he  will  find 
relief.' " 

Immediately  on  waking  he  aroused  young  Carr,  who  was 
sleeping  with  him,  and  requested  him  to  procure  him  a  Tes- 
tament from  the  adjoining  room.  "  I  opened  it  (he  says) 
and  found  therein  light  &  comfort.  From  this  time  I  be- 
took myself  to  prayer  &  sacred  reading.  These  brought 
Peace  &  joy,  where  before  all  was  darkness  &  wretchedness. 

"  My  friend  &  tutor,  A^fr.  Golding,  lost  no  time  in  advising 
me  as  to  the  course  I  ought  to  pursue,  and  most  thankful 
am  I  to  Almighty  God  that  in  his  mercy  he  bestowed  upon 
me  so  warm,  steadfast  &  excellent  a  friend. 

"  After  the  lapse  of  about  two  years  we  removed  to  Lon- 
don to  complete  our  education  under  Dr.  Barrow. 

"  Previous  to  my  departure  Mr.  Golding  warned  me  of 


7^  <0m  ^^unlvz"^  T)cav6  dtl^o. 

the  many  trials  &  temptations  to  which  I  should  be  sub- 
jected, and  that  persecutions  also  must  await  me.  The 
truth  of  all  this  I  experienced  on  reaching  Soho  Square, 
where  a  few  days  after  my  arrival  in  London  I  was  regularly 
entered  as  a  pupil.  This  school  was  a  large  one,  there  be- 
ing from  fifty  to  seventy  scholars,  many  of  them  young  men. 
Dr.  Barrow  was  kind  enough  to  furnish  me  with  a  room 
which  was  quite  retired.  Before  the  lapse  of  many  days, 
three  young  gentlemen  called  on  me,  and  very  politely  in- 
vited me  to  join  them  in  their  evening  amusements  of  eat- 
ing, drinking  «Sc  card  playing.  They  pressed  me  to  unite 
with  them,  &  upon  my  declining  they  insisted.  I  continued 
to  refuse  most  positively.  They  urged  the  matter  more  & 
more,  but  I  remained  decided  &  firm  in  my  purpose.  Find- 
ing invitations  &  persuasion  ineffectual,  they  sought  to  ac- 
complish their  purpose  by  threats  &  violence  and  assured 
me  that  they  would  force  me  into  participation  in  their  en- 
tertainments. I  told  them  that  I  despised  the  character  of  a 
tale-bearer,  and  I  would  not  report  their  habits  to  the  master 
unless  driven  to  do  so  by  them;  but  that  if  they  dared 
attempt  violence  to  my  person  I  would  be  coerced  to  do  so. 
I  told  them  moreover  that  I  believed  the  Bible  to  be  the 
word  of  God,  and  that  by  his  Grace  I  would  make  it  the  rule 
of  my  life.  The  threatened  exposure  produced  the  effect  I 
designed  it  to  have,  and  they  left  me  to  my  retirement  with 
these  words :  *  After  all  this  Cant  &  your  Puritanical  notions 
we  must  bid  you  Adieu.' 

"  It  was  a  custom  in  England  to  distribute  Religious 
tracts  at  the  doors  of  the  Theaters,  and  one  or  more  of  these 
young  gentlemen  had  been  furnished  with  one  on  the  occa- 


gcgoof  Bxft  m  6n5fan^.  77 

sion  of  their  visits  there.  Upon  one  of  these  they  wrote: 
'  Preached  by  the  Rev'd  W.  D.  Addison.'  This  they  pre- 
sented to  me  in  the  face  of  the  whole  school  just  as  I  was 
preparing  to  go  through  a  recitation.  Upon  casting  my  eye 
over  the  first  page  of  it  I  turned  to  the  donor  &  thanked  him 
for  his  present.  Upon  which  he  retired.  The  subject  of  the 
tract  was  Death:  and  in  it  was  contrasted  the  death-bed  of 
the  saint  and  the  sinner.  It  was  well  calculated  to  strengthen 
me  against  future  persecutions.  Amidst  the  trials  &  temp- 
tations of  that  large  city,  daily  prayer  &  sacred  reading  pre- 
served me." 

In  London  they  had  found  many  friends  and  relations: 
among  them  their  uncle,  ?^Iajor  Walter  Dulany,  whom  the 
war  had  brought  to  England.  Indeed,  there  was  at  the  time 
in  London  quite  a  little  society  of  Tory  refugees  whom  the 
war  had  driven  from  their  country. 

The  boys  were  most  kindly  received  by  all,  and  especially 
by  their  aunt,  ^Irs.  Montgomery,  and  their  great-uncle.  Rev. 
Henry  Addison.  At  the  house  of  ^^Irs.  }\Iontgomery  they 
frequently  met  their  uncle,  ^lajor  Dulany,  and  the  beautiful 
Mrs.  Lloyd  Dulany,  whose  beauty  and  sorrows  made  a  deep 
impression  upon  Walter's  heart.  Her  wedding  to  her  second 
husband.  Major  Dulany,  took  place  in  St.  George's  Chapel, 
where  they  were  married  by  the  Bishop  of  London. 

]\Iy  grandfather's  narrative  continues: 

"  My  brother  John  &  myself,  after  remaining  about  six 
months  with  Dr.  Barrow,  embarked  at  Gravesend  for  Am- 
erica. It  was  late  in  the  summer  of  1789  that  we  bade  fare- 
well to  the  shores  of  Gt  Britain,  leaving  Thomas  to  pursue 
his  studies — especially  of  Hebrew. 


78  One  35^^^^^^*^^  ^cavQ  dtl^o. 

"  The  ship  had  not  proceeded  many  leagues  on  its  voyage 
before  my  attention  was  attracted  to  the  mate,  who  seemed 
in  a  profound  melancholy.  His  apparent  distress  inspired 
me  with  great  compassion  for  him  &  I  attempted  to  comfort 
him  by  passages  from  the  Holy  Scriptures — by  which  I  my- 
self had  been  comforted.  I  persisted  in  this  course  for  some 
time  &  at  length  began  to  believe  that  his  mind  was  receiv- 
ing religious  impressions.  On  my  going  on  Deck  one  day, 
I  was  astonished  by  his  presenting  me  a  book,  and  accosting 
me  in  this  wise:  '  Young  man,  you  have  been  very  attentive 
to  me  and  in  return  I  have  something  to  offer  you.'  After 
a  short  examination  of  it  I  discovered  that  it  was  a  foul  com- 
position of  vulgar,  dirty  songs.  I  immediately  threw  it  into 
the  sea,  upbraiding  him  with  words  to  this  effect:  'I,  sir, 
have  endeavored  to  render  you  the  greatest  possible  service, 
and  you  in  return  have  sought  to  poison  my  mind;  and  I 
have  treated  your  book  as  it  deserves.'  A  most  violent  rage 
took  possession  of  him.  His  furious  noise  brought  the  Cap- 
tain to  the  deck.  The  mate  cried  out  to  him:  '  Do  you  think 
this  stripling  has  not  thrown  the  Ship's  Book  overboard.' 
At  this  the  Captain  became  equally  enraged,  although  I  in- 
formed him  of  the  circumstances  under  which  it  was  done, 
and  said  he  would  throw  my  books  into  the  sea.  I  replied 
that  if  he  did  I  would  certainly  throw  his  after  them.  To 
which  he  rejoined:  'And  if  you  do,  you  shall  certainly  fol- 
low them.'  By  this  time  the  passengers  made  their  appear- 
ance on  the  deck.  ^ly  brother  John,  who  possessed  a  lion- 
heart,  was  with  much  difHculty  prevented  from  making  a 
personal  attack  on  the  Captain.  Having  taken  boxing  les- 
sons in  London,  he  thought  he  could  manage  both  Captain 


^cgoof  Bift  in  6n5fan^.  79 

and  mate.  Mr.  Nichols  inquired  of  me  the  cause,  and  being 
informed,  he  said  to  the  Captain :  '  Sir,  I  consider  this  young 
gentleman  as  under  my  care:  you  have  acted  extremely 
amiss,  and  immediately  on  reaching  the  American  shores  I 
will  prosecute  you  for  it  in  a  Court  of  Justice.'  This  sub- 
dued the  Captain :  all  things  were  restored  to  peace  and  good 
order,  and  on  leaving  the  Ship  we  all  separated  good  friends. 

"  To  Almighty  God  I  owe  everything.  By  his  preventing 
and  assisting  grace  I  have  been  protected  thus  far  in  my 
life,  and  by  the  same  Divine  assistance  through  Christ  my 
Mediator  and  Redeemer,  I  trust  I  shall  be  sustained  through 
my  remaining  days. 

"  Although  the  ship  was  bound  to  Baltimore,  the  Captain 
was  kind  enough  to  land  us  at  Annapolis." 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Return  to  Annapolis. 

1789. 

HE  travelers  probably  landed  at  the  foot  of  their 
grandmother's  own  garden,  for  it  extended  to  the 
water's  edge.  Here  a  warm  welcome  awaited 
them.  To  their  great  delight  they  found  the  old 
lady  in  excellent  health  and  spirits,  and  that  her  son,  their 
uncle  ^^'alter,  and  his  lovely  wife  were  living  w^th  her. 
Their  mother,  no  doubt,  with  Col.  Hanson,  soon  completed 
the  party,  and  one  can  readily  imagine  with  what  joyful 
greetings  she  received  her  ''  boys,"  now  returned  to  her,  fine, 
manly  fellows,  accomplished,  and  handsome  as  well,  for  her 
son  John  was  considered  one  of  the  handsomest  men  of  his 
day,  and  my  grandfather  must  have  been  fine-looking,  for 
even  in  his  old  age  and  after  he  was  blind  there  was  some- 
thing in  his  appearance  which  greatly  impressed  my  childish 
fancy. 

"  In  Annapolis,"  he  says,  "  I  found  an  enlightened  and 
polished  society,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  to  remain  there, 
and  shortly  after  took  lodgings  in  that  city.  Here  a  new 
scene  awaited  me.  ]My  many  friends  gave  me  a  cordial 
reception,  which  was  partially  testified  by  numerous  invita- 
tions to  entertainments  which  were  tendered  me." 


(Return  to  cEnnapofie.  8i 

"  My  father,"  writes  Dr.  Addison,  "  gave  me  an  amusing 
account  of  his  first  entry  into  this  brilHant  circle  very  soon 
after  their  arrival.  My  uncle  John  and  himself  were  invited 
to  an  evening  party.  After  dinner,  as  was  his  wont,  he  took 
an  airing  in  the  riding  costume  of  an  English  gentleman 
which  he  had  brought  with  him  from  England.  It  con- 
sisted of  small  clothes  of  yellow  buckskin,  blue  coat,  red 
cassimere  vest,  and  fine  top-boots.  Of  this  swell  costume 
he  appears  to  have  been  vain,  and  on  his  return  he  did  not 
disrobe,  but  presented  himself  in  this  trim  to  an  astonished 
assembly  of  elegantly  dressed  ladies  and  gentlemen.  He  had 
not  anticipated  such  a  scene  (which  equalled  anything  he  had 
seen  in  London),  and  thought  he  could  dress  as  he  pleased. 
Great  was  his  dismav  and  confusion.  He  was  met  at  the 
door  by  his  Grandmamma  Dulany  in  highly  oflfended  dig- 
nity. 'What  do  you  mean,  Walter,  by  such  an  exhibition? 
Go  immediately  home  to  your  room  and  return  in  a  befitting 
dress.'  And  he  was  very  glad  to  go,  and  soon  returned  in 
silk  stockings,  embroidered  vest,  «Scc.  He  told  me  of  his 
great  astonishment  at  the  splendor  of  the  ladies'  dresses,  and 
the  adornments  of  the  apartments." 

At  first  he  entered  without  misgiving,  and  with  all  the 
abandon  of  a  youth  just  emancipated  from  study,  into  the 
hospitalities  and  gaieties  of  this  brilliant  little  society.  For 
dancing,  he  tells  us,  he  had  a  passion,  and  he  now  found 
abundant  opportunity  of  indulging  it.  He  soon,  however, 
discovered  that  he  was  becoming  too  much  absorbed  by  the 
social  attractions  which  surrounded  him,  and  he  began  to 
feel  that  this  life  of  pleasure  was  out  of  harmony  with  the 
higher  life  which  he  had  deliberately  chosen  for  himself,  and 


S2  One  J^unUt^  ^t(XV6  dl^o. 

that  a  poison  lay  beneath  these  attractive  shows.  Although 
these  enjoyments  were  not  condemned  by  any  of  the  friends 
whose  opinion  he  valued,  not  even  by  the  grandmother  he 
venerated,  he  soon  began  to  regard  them  with  suspicion  and 
to  question  their  true  character.  This  smiling  World  which 
held  out  its  hands  to  him  in  such  friendly  greeting,  and 
whose  approval  his  grandmother  evidently  desired  for  him, 
could  it  be  a  subtle  enemy  in  fair  disguise?  Was  this  the 
"  World "  which  at  confirmation  he  had  promised  to  re- 
nounce, and  which  the  sign  of  the  cross,  with  which  he  had 
been  sealed  at  baptism,  had  pledged  him  "  to  fight  manfully 
against"? 

He  says :  "  I  little  knew  how  dangerous  were  these  pleas- 
ures, but  they  soon  exposed  to  me  their  true  character,  for 
they  proved  more  subtle  temptations  than  the  ridicule  of  my 
schoolmates  in  England:  even  more  formidable  than  the 
threats  of  Dr.  Barrow's  scholars.  I  must  have  fallen  a  vic- 
tim to  these  enticing  pleasures  had  it  not  been  for  daily 
prayer  and  sacred  reading.  The  society  of  young  men  I 
found  it  necessary  to  quit,  and  in  that  of  the  virtuous  fair  I 
took  refuge.  Next  to  religion,  I  consider  the  company  of 
estimable  ladies  the  best  safeguard  that  the  youth  of  our  sex 
can  have." 

His  views  of  society  as  he  saw  it,  and  of  the  Church  as  he 
found  it,  during  his  sojourn  in  Annapolis,  undoubtedly  gave 
a  strong  bent  to  his  future  career.  Earnest  and  true,  with  a 
natural  propensity  to  think  for  himself,  he  saw  clearly  and 
at  once  the  discrepancy  between  the  Christian  life  around 
him  and  the  professed  Christian  standards  of  the  Bible  and 
Prayer  Book. 


MRS.   HESSELIUS. 

Painted   by   her  husband,  John   Hesselius. 

From  a   picture  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.   Commodore  Ridgely. 


(Retutn  to  dElnnapofte.  83 

Though  his  friends  thought  differently,  he  could  see  his 
duty  in  no  other  light,  and  what  he  clearly  saw  to  be  right, 
that  through  life  he  persistently  followed.  However  others 
might  regard  worldly  amusements,  he  felt  that  they  were  low- 
ering the  tone  of  his  spiritual  life,  and  he  at  once  turned  his 
back  upon  them,  resolved  nevermore  to  "  follow  or  be  led  by 
them."  This  sacrifice,  however,  cost  him  a  severe  struggle. 
It  was  not  merely  the  giving  up  of  the  enjoyments  of 
society,  but  his  refusal  to  join  in  the  youthful  gaieties  around 
him  was  disapproved  by  his  friends  and  resented  by  his 
young  companions.  To  a  young  man  of  great  modesty  the 
position  was  a  very  trying  one.  Still  he  remained  inflexible 
in  his  determination.  The  more  he  thought  of  these  things 
the  more  full  of  wonder  he  became  that  other  Christians 
saw  them  so  differently,  and  more  especially  did  it  seem 
strange  that  the  clergy  whom  he  met  should  often  be  fore- 
most in  scenes  which  seemed  to  him  so  unworthy  of  their 
sacred  calling.  The  card-table,  the  ball-room  and  the  theater 
were  all  sanctioned  by  their  presence.  He  betook  himself 
to  the  Bible  and  Prayer  Book,  and  became  more  and  more 
established  in  his  decision,  although  his  views  were  opposed 
to  the  opinions  and  practice  of  many  whom  he  respected. 

"  While  I  remained  in  Annapolis,"  he  continues,  "  I  spent 
my  mornings  in  study,  and  my  evenings  in  the  society  of 
ladies.  While  there  I  became  acquainted  with  an  elderly 
lady  (a  Mrs.  Hesselius)  who  lived  near  the  city.  She  was  a 
woman  of  exalted  piety,  and  vigorous  and  accomplished 
mind,  and  I  found  great  pleasure  and  advantage  in  her 
society  and  visited  her  often." 

Such  a  friend  at  this  crisis  of  his  life  was  indeed  an  ines- 


84  One  ^un^re^  'I)ear0  JElgo. 

timable  blessing  to  him,  and  I  doubt  not  it  was  in  a  measure 
through  her  influence  that  he  determ.ined  to  study  for  the 
ministry  and  to  devote  his  Hfe  to  the  sendee  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  of  America,  at  that  time  in  sore  need  of  earnest  and 
faithful  ministers. 

Primrose,  or  Primrose  Hill,  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Hesse- 
lius,  was  a  retired  spot  about  t\vo  miles  from  the  city :  a  little 
apart,  therefore,  from  its  fashions  and  gaieties.  This  estate 
was  purchased  by  her  father,  Richard  Young,  and  dying 
soon  after,  in  1748,  he  left  it  to  her,  his  only  child.  Bishop 
Henshaw,  in  a  sketch  which  he  wrote  for  the  "  Religious 
Magazine,"  says :  "  At  this  time  her  mind  became  deeply  im- 
pressed with  religious  truth;  though  not  having  the  clear 
views  of  salvation  by  grace  which  she  afterwards  attained, 
yet  there  is  good  cause  for  believing  that  even  at  this  early 
age  (thirteen)  she  was  made  a  new  creature  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ." 

At  fifteen  she  married  Mr.  Henry  Woodward,  a  most 
amiable  gentleman  and  the  object  of  her  choice.  Possessed 
of  fortune,  a  high  position,  and  of  every  personal  charm,  she 
yet  counted  all  these  gifts  but  dross  for  the  excellency  of  the 
knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

When  only  twenty-tv\^o,  her  husband  died,  leaving  her 
with  a  large  though  somewhat  embarrassed  estate,  besides 
the  care  of  four  daughters.  This  heartrending  blow  filled 
her  with  the  deepest  melancholy.  While  in  this  state  of 
mind  she  had  an  opportunity  of  hearing  the  great  Whitfield. 
His  trumpet-tones  aroused  her  from  the  state  of  depression 
into  which  she  had  fallen.  It  was  the  first  truly  Gospel  ser- 
mon to  which  she  had  ever  listened.     A  new  light  broke  on 


(Return  to  dElnnapofte.  8 5 

her  mind,  she  received  the  glad  tidings  which  he  brought 
with  joy  and  thankfuhiess,  and  until  death  cherished  a  grate- 
ful remembrance  of  him.  Nevertheless  she  remained  per- 
fectly loyal  to  her  own  church,  looking  with  confidence  for 
its  regeneration. 

"  At  this  time  the  name  of  '  Methodist '  was  a  reproac'i 
among  the  thoughtless  and  irreligious  of  the  community, 
and  the  Methodists  were  also  generally  stigmatized  by  the 
Clergy,  to  whom  their  zeal  and  earnestness  were  a  reproach. 
They  were  excluded  from  the  pulpits  of  even  the  better 
class,  and  were  without  a  place  to  meet  together  in  His 
Name  whom  they  professed  to  serve." 

"  Mrs.  Woodward  made  them  welcome  to  Primrose,  and 
their  services  were  often  held  there.  Deeply  attached  to  her 
own  church,  she  beheld  with  grief  its  low  estate,  and  while 
she  welcomed  these  servants  of  God,  w^ho  came  preaching  the 
pure  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  its  simplicity  and 
fulness,  she  believed  that  they  were  sent  as  messengers  of 
God  to  the  Episcopal  Church  to  arouse  His  people  from 
their  slumber  and  awaken  them  to  a  higher  life." 

But  as  the  Methodists  met  with  ridicule  and  opposition 
from  a  class  of  people  "  always  ready  to  resent  any  signs  of 
an  aspiration  higher  than  their  own,  or  any  example  of  a  bet- 
ter life,  which  they  rightly  regard  as  a  rebuke,"  so  she,  by 
her  course  in  the  matter,  shared  in  the  condemnation  meted 
out  to  her  friends.  She  was  called  a  *'  Methodist."  Several 
of  her  most  intimate  friends,  particularly  her  son-in-law, 
Philip  Rogers,  Esq.-,  and  Mrs.  Prudence  Gough,  of  Perry 
Hall,  connected  themselves  with  that  society;  but  when  the 
Methodists  finally  separated  themselves  from  the  Church  she 
remained  true  to  the  Church  of  her  fathers. 


S6  <Dnt  'jl^m^vz^  'Peate  cEgo. 

In  the  year  1763,  January  30th,  Mrs.  Woodward  married 
Mr.  John  Hessehus,  an  artist  of  some  distinction  in  the 
colony.  He  was  the  son  of  Samuel  Hesselius,  "  ^Mission- 
ary"  and  Doctor  of  Philosophy,  whose  record  we  have  al- 
ready noticed.  ]\Ir.  Hesselius  was  born  in  this  country,  but 
studied  in  England  under  Sir  Godfrey  Kneller.  He  re- 
turned to  America  in  company  with  his  friend  "  Wirtmuller," 
and  the  two  young  artists  found  ample  employment  among 
the  prominent  families  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  w^here 
many  of  their  portraits  are  still  to  be  seen.  As  a  touching 
tribute  to  their  friendship,  Wirtmuller,  w^ho  survived  him 
some  years,  left  all  his  property  to  Hesselius'  children.  I 
found  the  following  letter  from  him  among  the  collection  of 
autograph  letters  in  the  Episcopal  Library: 

Jime  26th,  1755. 
To  Mr.  Callister, 

Dear  Sir : 

I  have  been  so  hurried  in  my  affairs  since  I  came  here — 
and  now  since  the  death  of  my  dear  Father,  that  I  hope  you 
will  excuse  my  seeming  neglect  in  not  writing  before.  My 
being  left  executor  of  my  Father's  estate  has  obliged  me  to 
remain  and  to  stay  much  longer  in  Philadelphia  than  I  de- 
sired, but  I  hope  in  a  fortnight  more,  I  shall  be  moving 
down  to  Virginia,  and  as  soon  as  I  can  dispatch  the  business 
I  have  on  hand  there  I  intend  to  come  to  ^laryland,  where 
I  have  already  left  my  heart." 

A  copy  of  the  "  Whole  Duty  of  Man,"  presented  to  John 
Hesselius  by  his  friend  the  Rev.  Henry  Addison  in  1775,  was 


(Keturn  (o  ilnnapofte.  87 

picked  up  some  years  ago  in  an  old  curiosity  shop  and  pre- 
sented to  me  by  a  friend.  Some  of  the  prayers  which  are  for 
private  use  are  sHghtly  altered  with  a  pen,  to  adapt  them  to 
family  worship.  After  his  marriage  to  Mrs.  Woodward  they 
resided  at  Bellefield,  an  estate  which  belonged  to  him  on 
the  Severn  river  (and  which  was  afterwards  the  residence  of 
Commodore  Ballard).  There  he  is  buried.  After  his  death 
Mrs.  Hesselius  returned  to  Primrose. 

"  To  those  whose  memories  can  go  back  to  the  times  of 
which  we  are  speaking,"  writes  Bishop  Henshaw,  "  it  is  un- 
necessary to  say  that  the  state  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in 
Maryland  was  such  as  to  excite  lamentations  and  mourning 
in  every  pious  bosom;  when  the  associates  of  profligate 
noblemen,  men  who  loved  good  livings  better  than  good 
lives,  were  sent  as  ministers  of  Him  whom  they  served  not. 
Though  all  her  '  gates  were  desolate,'  Mrs.  Hesselius  re- 
mained steadfast  in  hope  that  the  '  Daughter  of  Zion  would 
arise  and  shake  herself  from  the  dust ' ;  and,  oh,  with  what 
joy  and  gratitude  did  she  contemplate  during  the  last  days 
of  her  existence  the  fulfilment  of  a  hope  she  had  so  long  and 
iondly  cherished." 

Here,  then,  young  Mr.  Addison  found  a  most  congenial 
companion,  and  many  were  the  conversations  they  held  on 
the  subjects  nearest  to  their  hearts.  His  youthful  enthu- 
siasm was  no  doubt  refreshing  to  her  spirit,  and  her  large 
■experience  in  the  world,  as  well  as  in  spiritual  things,  made 
her  a  valuable  counsellor  at  this  important  period  of  his  life, 
for,  probably,  it  was  about  this  time  that  his  resolution  to 
•enter  the  ministry  was  first  taken. 

The  condition  of  the  Church  and  the  sore  need  that  there 


88  One  '^unt>vt'b  't)ear0  il^o. 

was  at  that  time  for  true  and  faithful  men  to  fill  her  pulpits 
and  to  assist  in  organizing  (out  of  the  confusion  and  decay 
into  which  the  Church  of  England  had  fallen),  a  new  and 
living  Episcopal   Church  of  America,  must  have  appealed 
loudly  to  this  youthful  soldier  of  Christ.     There  were  at  that 
time  no  theological  seminaries,  where  students  might  have 
the  advantage  of  pursuing  their  sacred  studies  under  the 
direction  of  wise  and  learned  men.     There  were,  however, 
in  the  Church,  libraries  which  had  been  sent  out  by   Dr. 
Bray,  and  afterwards  increased  by  Mr.   Boucher,   and  the 
largest  of  these  was  in  Annapolis.     These  books  Mr.  Addi- 
son,  of  course,   had  access  to.     He   was  a   good   classical 
scholar,  and  from  the  fact  that  his  youngest  brother  Thomas 
remained  in  England  to  "  continue  his  Hebrew,"  I  suppose 
he  also  had  some  knowledge  of  that  language.     The  Rev. 
Mr.  Higginbotham  no  doubt  directed  his  studies,  but  his 
theological  advantages,  compared  with  those  enjoyed  by  the 
divinity  students  of  the  present  day,  must  have  been  small, 
and  Bishop  Johns'  stricture,  that  he  was  in  after  years  more 
distinguished  for  his  piety  than  for  his  theological  learning, 
was  undoubtedly  true.     Under  the  most  favorable  circum- 
stances, practical  Christianity  would  have  more  appealed  to 
the  character  of  his  mind  than  the  subtle  questions  of  the- 
ology, and  at  this  time  the  pressing  need  of  the  Church  was 
not  for  theologians,  but  for  living  and  earnest  men  to  preach 
and  to  exemplify  the  vivifying  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  thus 
to  counteract  the  work  of  the  licentious  and  venal  men  who, 
in  the  time  of  the  last  Proprietor,  had  been  appointed  to  feed 
this  little  flock  in  the  wilderness;  men  of  courage  and  force, 
not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  who  were  prepared 


(Ketutrn  to  dElnnapofte,  ^9 

to  fight  manfully  under  His  banner  against  the  world,  the 
flesh  and  the  devil. 

His  reputation  as  a  theologian  would  have  been  indeed 
high  if  it  had  exceeded  his  character  as  a  Christian!  We 
liave,  however,  the  testimony  of  his  children  to  the  fact  that 
he  was  always  a  hard  student. 

Like  Bishop  Wilberforce,  he  might  be  said  to  have  had 
the  ''  courage  of  his  convictions  and  never  to  have  swerved 
to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left  when  he.  believed  that  he  was 
in  the  way  of  righteousness,  however  rough  and  steep  " ;  and 
if,  in  some  of  his  impetuous  assaults  upon  the  vices  of  the 
day  he  may  have  exceeded  the  bounds  of  a  wise  prudence, 
it  was  only  natural  in  a  man  who,  fearing  God  with  all  his 
heart,  was  insensible  to  the  fear  of  man. 

Before  entering  on  the  ministry,  but  probably  after  his 
resolution  to  do  so  was  irrevocably  formed,  he  appears,  in 
preparation  for  it,  to  have  divested  himself  of  the  incum- 
brance of  a  good  deal  of  superfluous  wealth.  As  my  uncle 
states  that  '"  he  was  by  nature  inclined  to  husband  his  re- 
sources," I  cannot  but  think  that  this  laying  aside  of  his  pos- 
sessions was  deliberately  and  conscientiously  done;  and  had  it 
not  been  for  his  subsequent  engagement  to  Miss  Hesselius^ 
which  may  have  modified  his  views  as  to  his  right  to  divest 
himself  of  his  property,  he  would  probably  have  gone  to  a 
still  greater  length  in  lightening  the  burden  of  his  worldly 
cares,  so  that  he  might  more  entirely  give  himself  to  the  race 
set  before  him. 

Owing  to  the  mismanagement  of  his  stepfather,  his 
mother's  estate  had  become  seriously  embarrassed,  and  to 
her  he  presented  "  Hart  Park,"  comprising  about  four  hun- 


90  ^ne  ^un^reb  '^eare  il^o. 

dred  acres.  To  an  uncle,  whose  property  had  also  becomfe 
embarrassed,  he  released  a  bond  of  seventeen  hundred 
pounds,  and  to  a  brother  born  after  his  father's  death,  and 
for  whom  no  adequate  provision  had  been  made,  he  gave 
500  acres  from  the  Oxon  Hill  estate.  In  addition  to  this,  he 
refused  to  prosecute  his  claim  to  a  large  property  in  Eng- 
land, which  was  afterwards  outlawed.  A  gentleman,  returning 
from  England  many  years  after,  informed  him  of  his  claim, 
thinking  that  he  was  -ignorant  of  its  existence.  He  replied 
that  when  he  could  have  recovered  it  without  difficulty  he 
had  made  no  effort  to  assert  his  rights,  because  he  thought 
that  he  possessed  as  much  property  as  was  desirable;  that 
perhaps  if  life  were  to  be  lived  over  he  might  act  differently, 
but  it  was  too  late  to  think  about  it,  as  it  could  now  onlv  be 
reclaimed  at  an  enormous  expense.  My  grandfather's  en- 
gagement to  Miss  Hesselius,  and  the  date  fixed  for  his  mar- 
riage, are  alluded  to  in  the  following  letter  from  Mary 
Grafton  Dulany: 

Mrs.  Diilany  to  Miss  FitzJmgli,  after  the  death  of 

Mrs.  Fitzhugh. 

Annapolis,  30th  April,  1792. 
My  Dearest  Polly  : 

I  have  long  wished  to  write  to  you — but  writing  has  of 
late  appeared  to  be  a  task  almost  insurmountable — however 
I  am  determined  to  conquer  these  feelings  as  much  as  pos- 
sible for  the  sake  of  my  darling  children  who  are  anxious  to 
hear  from  me. 

With  respect  to  those  who  are  taken  from  us,  w4io  have 
regularly  adhered  to  their  duty,  I  look  upon  it  that  they  are 


Keturn  (o  ilnnapofie.  9^ 

highly  favored  in  being  snatched  from  their  troubles  here,  to 
meet  their  reward  at  an  early  period — I  can  truly  say  that  I 
have  long  wished  that  I  had  been  deemed  worthy  of  such  a 
translation — &  my  earnest  prayers  I  find  necessary  to  pre- 
serve my  wishes  from  being  too  sanguine — at  my  ad- 
vanced age  this  must  be  natural  my  D^"  but  I  hope  that  you 
&  all  my  darling  children  may  be  long  without  cause  for 
these  sensations.  While  I  am  wTiting  to  you  my  heart  over- 
flows wath  love  &  tenderness,  &  I  long  to  clasp  you  to  my 
bosom — but  I  fear  it  must  be  some  time  first — 

Your  Cousin  Walter  goes  up  on  purpose  for  a  visit,  which 
I  hope  will  be  agreeable  to  you  all — he  is  truly  one  of  the 
best  of  human  beings — his  happy  day  is  fixed  for  the  fifth  of 
June — She  is  a  very  clever  &  a  very  good  Girl,  it  is  a  most 
agreeable  family  connection  &  there  is  great  reason  to  hope 
that  it  will  be  an  happy  union. 

If  anything  is  stirring  amongst  us  in  town  he  knows  a 
great  deal  more  about  these  things  than  I  do  &  he  will  in- 
form you — Remember  me  in  the  most  affectionate  manner 
to  your  D^  Father  &  all  my  children — God  bless  them — I  feel 
T  am  sure  a  truly  maternal  affection  for  him  &  fervently  pray 
for  the  felicity  of  him  &  his. 

I  pray  God  bless  you  all. 

Your  most  affec't  Grandmother 

M.   DULANY. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

His  Marriage  and  the  Young  Ladies  of  the  Period. 

1789-1793. 

he  became  afterwards  still  more  intimately  con- 
nected with  Mrs.  Hesselius,  and  as  my  uncle,  in  his 
"  Recollections,"  seems  to  take  the  greatest  delight 
in  dwelling  on  her  character,  which,  says  her  bio- 
grapher. Bishop  Henshaw,  "  shed  the  cheering  light  of  an 
almost  spotless  example  throughout  a  widely  extended  circle 
for  more  than  half  a  century,"  I  will  add  the  following  sketch 
from  the  pen  of  her  grandson: 

"  My  grandmother  Hesselius  was  a  very  remarkable  and 
very  elegant  woman:  remarkable  both  for  her  talents  and 
understanding.  Her  father,  Richard  Young,  was  a  gentle- 
man of  fortune  and  resided  on  an  estate  in  Calvert  Co.  A 
short  time  before  his  death  he  removed  to  Primrose  Hill,  near 
Annapolis.  From  the  literary  tastes  and  pursuits  of  my 
grandmother,  I  presume  that  her  father  was  a  gentleman  of 
finished  education,  who  spared  no  pains  in  the  education  of 
his  only  child.  Good  schools  for  young  ladies  were  very 
rare  in  this  country  at  that  time,  and  I  have  never  heard  that 
she  was  sent  abroad.  I  have  heard  her  called  the  Hannah 
More  of  America,  and  I  doubt  not  in  similar  circumstances 
she  might  have  been  equal  to  that  eminent  lady.     My  grand- 


BETSY  AND  CHARLOTTE  HESSELIUS. 
Painted   by  their  father,  John   Hessellus. 


•Poun^  Ba^tee  of  tge  (period  93 

mother  was  lovely  in  age  and  must  have  been  very  beautiful 
in  youth.  Her  head  and  face  were  perfectly  classical,  eyes 
soft  in  expression,  of  an  azure  tint,  a  nose  that  Praxitiles 
would  have  rejoiced  to  copy,  and  a  profusion  of  hair,  though 
silvered  by  time. 

"  Her  children  and  her  grandchildren  loved  her  dearly. 
Everybody  loved  her.  How  well  I  remember  the  dignity  of 
her  character  and  the  unbounded  respect  in  which  she  was 
held!  In  her  presence  all  seemed  to  be  on  their  good  be- 
haviour, but  at  the  same  time  cheerful  and  happy;  disputes 
or  angry  words  were  never  heard  in  her  presence,  nor  was 
all  this  harmony  produced  from  other  fear  than  the  fear  of 
offending  one  that  w^e  loved.  Each  night  around  the  old 
armchair  a  happy  group  would  assemble,  and  when  conver- 
sation flagged,  some  good  book  w^ould  be  taken  up,  and 
one  of  the  party  would  read  therefrom  while  the  rest  would 
ply  the  needle." 

But  her  own  sketch  of  the  Primrose  household,  written  for 
her  younger  daughters  in  1788,  and  entitled  "The  Family 
Picture,"  is  still  more  graphic.  The  poem  is  too  long  to  be 
copied  here  entire,  but  it  presents  such  a  picture  of  the  man- 
ners, occupations  and  even  dress  of  the  "  young  lady  of  the 
period  "  that  I  will  make  large  extracts  from  it. 

THE  FAMILY  PICTURE. 

The  evening  was  frosty,  the  wind  at  northwest, 
The  beasts  had  sought  shelter,  the  birds  were  at  rest. 
Brisk  Bob  on  the  tables  the  candles  had  placed, 
And  locked  all  the  doors  and  the  windows  made  fast. 
The  fire  was  clear  and  the  hearth  was  quite  clean, 
And  asleep  on  the  carpet  Grimalkin  was  seen. 


94  ©ne  '^xxrxtvt^  '^eare  ilgo. 

At  the  head  of  the  circle  I'd  taken  my  place, 
While  ease  and  good-humor  appeared  in  each  face. 
As  a  knowledge  of  self  is  a  knowledge  too  rare, 
I  proposed  to  the  girls,  that  with  caution  and  care. 
Each  character  I  with  precision  should  draw. 
Each  excellence  mark  and  expose  every  flaw. 
My  plan  was  approved.     Next  my  muse  I  invoke. 
And  summon  fair  truth  to  appear  at  each  stroke. 

.     .     .     See  Harriet  appears. 
Some  say  she's  too  grave,  but  I  think  not  at  all, 
Though  she  never  exhibits  at  play  or  at  ball. 
Like  the  low,  humble  violet,  content  wdth  the  shade, 
Nor  envies  the  tulip  its  gaudy  parade  ; 
She  fixes  on  virtue  true  pleasure  to  find, 
And  studies  no  graces  but  those  of  the  mind. 

Miss  Charlotte  comes  next  ;  but  what  shall  I  say  ? 
'Tis  hard  such  strange  features  as  hers  to  portray; 
Not  that  Nature,  herself,  has  refused  to  be  kind, 
Or  stamped  her  displeasure  on  person  or  mind. 
Now  assist  me,  kind  genius,  and  aid  my  design. 
While  I  try  of  this  portrait  to  sketch  the  outline. 
Good-humored  but  thoughtless,  she  caii't  be  called  vain. 
Though  she  loves  a  craped  head  and  is  fond  of  a  train. 
In  the  morning  her  features  she  will  not  expose. 
For  the  flounce  of  her  cap  almost  covers  her  nose. 
Her  handkerchief's  crimpt  and  quite  up  to  her  chin, 
But  generally  partial  for  want  of  a  pin. 
When  dressed,  still  her  head  has  a  great  deal  of  trash  on  ; 
If  her  gown  is  pinned  crooked,  it's  made  in  the  fashion. 
To  tambour  on  crape  she  has  a  great  passion, 
Because  here  of  late  it  has  been  much  the  fashion  ; 
But  for  waiit  of  due  care  the  crape  has  got  tattered. 
The  shades  are  dis-sorted,  the  spangles  are  scattered. 
Too  thoughtless  for  conquest,  too  careless  to  please, 
No  ambition  she  knows  but  to  live  at  her  ease. 
To  load  one's  poor  brain  with  dull  care  is  quite  silly  : 


•^ouno;  BaMee  of  t^t  ^tvio^,  95 

If  she  wants  but  her  thimble  she  calls  out  for  Milly. 

Unconscious,  she  dreads  not  the  tongues  of  her  sex  : 

Being  unused  to  slander,  she  never  suspects. 

She  hates  defamation.     To  give  her  her  due, 

She's  gentle  to  all ;  in  her  friendships  most  true. 
Young  Caroline  next  in  the  circle  is  seen  ; 

Though  large  in  her  stature,  she's  not  yet  fifteen. 

She,  too,  loves  the  fashion  and  dress  without  measure  ; 

A  new  gown's  a  delight,  a  new  cap  is  a  treasure. 

Not  idle  or  careless,  to  give  her  her  due, 

What  she  thinks  is  her  interest  she'll  strive  to  pursue. 

Loves  to  tambour  on  muslin  as  misers  love  pelf. 

Sometimes  for  her  friends,  but  much  more  for  herself. 

Not  unpleasing  her  manners,  her  person  is  nice, 

But  how  shall  I  tell  you  she  scorns  all  advice  ? 

The  pianoforte  she  touches  with  skill. 
And  manages  "  Nicolia  "  quite  at  her  will. 

But  though  music  and  neatness  together  unite, 

Her  frown  often  puts  all  the  graces  to  flight. 
The  next  is  Eliza,  the  child  of  my  care, 

Whom  I  nursed  with  devotion  and  fancied  her  fair. 

What  pleasing  delight  in  my  bosom  I  found 

When  she  sat  on  my  knee  or  perhaps  played  aro.und. 

I've  surveyed,  with  the  eye  of  a  parent,  each  grace 

That  sat  on  her  form  or  that  played  in  her  face  ; 

Her  eye  that  spoke  softness,  her  lovely  brown  hair, 

And  skin  that  to  lilies  might  justly  compare. 

I  viewed  all  with  rapture,  but  mote  when  I'd  see 

Her  tender  affections  were  fixed  upon  me. 

To  go  or  to  come,  to  run  or  stand  still. 

She  ever  was  pleased  to  attend  on  my  will. 

Oh,  have  you  ne'er,  after  beautiful  morn, 

Seen  the  clouds  gather  blackness,  the  sunbeams  withdrawn. 

Each  flower  then  languish,  their  beauty  decay  ? 

So  vanish  my  prospects,  my  hopes  fade  away. 


9^  One  ^x^n^vt^  ^tavQ  ilgo. 

(For,  alas  !  poor  Betsey  had  fallen  into  a  bad  habit  of 
stooping,  was  negligent  of  her  appearance  generally,  and 
when  reproved  was  inclined  to  be  pert  to  her  mamma, 
who,  I  am  afraid,  had  spoiled  her  sadly.) 

When  my  work  -was  quite  finished  and  held  up  to  view, 

Not  one  in  the  room  their  own  character  knew. 

Said  Charlotte,  surprised,  "Sure,  this  cannot  be  ; 

Mamma,  could  you  ever  design  it  for  me  ? 

So  careless  and  indolent !   sure,  'tis  a  shame. 

And  if  such  were  my  conduct  you  justly  might  blame  ; 

But  I  beg  you'll  remember  how  much  work  I  do — 

Six  handkerchiefs  lately,  some  double-hemmed  too, 

All  ruffled  and  trimmed  in  the  fashion  most  new." 

Then  growing  more  grave,  she  began  to  reflect. 

If  real,  those  evils  'tis  time  to  correct. 

Young  Caroline  blushed  and  discovered  a  tear. 

"  Mamma,  I  must  think,  has  been  rather  severe  : 

'  Ill-natured  and  selfish,  not  under  control,' 

This  portrait  I  hate,  I  declare  from  my  so'ul." 

Poor  Betsey  cried  sadly,  was  greatly  distressed. 

Such  a  pert,  awkward  baggage  her  picture  expressed  ; 

But  being  by  reason  a  little  subdued, 

With  her  two  elder  sisters  did  wisely  conclude. 

That  as  they  to  themselves  were  such  profound  strangers, 

And  hourly  exposed  to  such  hazards  and  dangers, 

They'd  look  to  their  mother  for  aid  and  protection. 

And  take  her  advice  for  their  future  direction. 

All  happy  at  length  to  come  under  this  stricture. 

So  good  an  effect  had  the  Family  Picture. 

The  old  house  of  Primrose  Hill  is  still  to  be  seen,  though 
no  longer  in  possession  of  the  Hesselius  family.  It  is  easy 
in  fancy  to  people  it  again  with  the  happy  group  which  once 
gathered  around   its   ample  fireside.     One   can   almost   see 


UJ 

O 

cr 


a. 


CO 


T3 
<D 


o 

d) 

c 

o 

> 

■a 

t. 

m 

X 

o 

cc 
>» 

J2 


3 

m 


*X)oung  Ba^tee  of  tge  (period.  97 

those  bright  young  giris  in  their  quaint  morning  caps  and 
snowy  "  kerchiefs  crimpt  and  up  to  the  chin,"  busy  with 
their  "  tambour  work "  and  their  old-fashioned  music.  I 
wonder  how  "Nicoha"  would  sound  to  our  "classic"  taste 
on  Miss  Caroline's  pianoforte?  Pretty  miniatures  of  her, 
and  of  Miss  Charlotte,  with  her  ''  craped  head  "  (and  train,  no 
doubt,  though  that  does  not  appear)  are  still  in  existence. 
She  was  "  not  without  wit,"  as  her  mother  declares,  and 
some  clever  verses  of  hers  found  their  way  into  the  "  Ga- 
zette." A  hundred  years  afterwards  they  were  copied  and 
illustrated  by  Mr.  Mayer  in  a  manner  that  would  have  re- 
joiced her  heart,  and  republished  in  the  "  Century." 

I  received  another  graphic  picture  of  this  family  group 
many  years  ago  from  my  revered  friend,  Mrs.  Catherine 
Few,  of  New  York.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Captain 
(afterwards  Commodore)  Nicholson,  of  the  "  Defence,"  and 
vvas  about  that  time  visiting  some  very  gay  relatives  at  An- 
napolis. She  was  very  young  and  much  admired,  and  en- 
tered with  great  zest  into  the  fashionable  amusements  of  the 
society  there,  which  she  told  me  appeared  to  her  much  more 
briUiant  than  that  of  New  York ! 

One  morning  she  rode  out  with  one  of  her  young  ad- 
mirers to  breakfast  at  Primrose.  When  they  entered  the 
porch  they  found  the  door  open  and  the  family  assembled 
in  the  hall  at  prayers.  As  they  stood  and  listened,  the  con- 
trast between  these  peaceful  morning  devotions  and  the  gay 
and  thoughtless  scenes  through  which  she  had  been  passing 
made  a  deep  impression  on  her  mind,  and  led  to  a  lifelong 
friendship  for  one  of  its  members.*     I  have  still  in  my  pos- 


*  Harriet,  afterwards  Mrs.  Murray. 


9S  (One  it^nnU'C^  l)car6  iigo. 

session  their  carefully  preserved  correspondence  of  more 
than  half  a  century. 

Friendship  was  a  virtue  characteristic  of  that  leisurely 
time,  when  as  yet  the  arts  of  conversation  and  letter-writing;- 
had  not  been  superseded  by  the  newspapers,  and  played  an 
important  part  in  its  daily  life.  Even  the  houses  of  that  day 
seem  to  have  been  constructed  more  with  a  view  to  the  en- 
joyment of  the  society  of  friends  than  for  the  display  of 
wealth  or  of  artistic  taste,  and  their  friendships,  like  their 
houses,  were  expected  to  endure  and  to  descend  to  their 
posterity,  as  this  one  notably  did. 

i8q3  differs  from  1793  in  nothing-  more  than  in  the  educa- 
tion of  its  vouno-  ladies.  It  mav  be  interesting-,  in  view  of 
the  great  advantages  of  the  present  day,  to  look  back  and  see 
for  a  moment  how  our  grandmothers  grew  up  and  with  what 
ideas  their  education  was  conducted.  We  have  had  quite  a 
peep  at  the  young  ladies  at  Primrose.  Miss  Eliza  has  now 
returned  from  school  in  Baltimore.  We  hear  nothing  fur- 
ther of  that  school,  until  a  few  years  later  we  have  a  delight- 
ful correspondence  between  ]\Iary  Grafton  T^ulany.  Jr.  (who 
has  taken  Eliza's  place  with  her  mother's  dearest  friend.  Mrs. 
Philip  Rogers,  and  is  going  probably  to  the  same  school), 
and  her  father,  Alajor  Walter  Dulany.  The  letter  from 
Major  Dulany  to  his  daughter  gives  some  hints  on  what  has 
been  said  to  be  a  "  lost  art";  indeed,  I  may  say  on  two  lost 
arts,  for  conversation  as  well  as  letter-writing  can  scarcely 
now  be  said  to  be  cultivated  as  an  art. 


^oun5  EaUzQ  of  tU  (period.  99 

Maj.  Dulany  to  his  Daui^htcr. 

July  \Gt/i,  icSo/. 
Aly  Darliiio;  DaugJitcr  : 

The  pleasure  which  your  letter  of  the  25th  of  May  afforded 
nie  was  great.  I  liope  from  it,  that  you  will  use  the  applica- 
tion needed  to  become  an  adept  in  so  necessary  an  accom- 
plished as  the  art  of  letter-writing.  Inasmuch  as  you  ap- 
pear to  have  an  idea  of  the  end  for  which  letters  are  written, 
namely,  to  supply  the  place  of  that  conversation  from  which 
we  are  debarred  by  absence,  from  holding  with  each  other. 
From  want  of  due  reflection  on  this,  what  absurdities  do  we 
see  people  led  into  when  they  sit  down  to  write  a  letter  to  a 
friend. 

If  they  aimed  at  nothing  more  than  communicating  what 
would  be  most  interesting,  with  sucli  remarks  as  naturally 
occurred,  it  would  be  unnecessary  for  them  to  "  hammer 
their  brains"  at  the  unmerciful  rate  they  often  complain 
they  are  obliged  to  do,  for  something  to  say. 

In  letter-writing,  as  in  conversation,  it  will  be  found  that 
those  who  substitute  the  design  of  distinguishing  themselves, 
for  that  of  giving  pleasure  to  those  whom  they  address,  must 
ever  fail.  But  though  I  object  to  a  desire  of  distinguishing 
one's  self  as  a  primary  object  in  either  conversation  or  letter- 
writing  (which  leads  directly  to  affectation),  I  should  be  far 
from  desiring  you  to  be  careless  of  the  figure  you  may  make 
in  either  of  them.  There  are  few  things  in  which  the  rule — 
"  Whatever  you  set  about,  determine  to  do  as  well  as  pos- 
sible " — is  more  necessary.  Having  decided  upon  what  is 
proper  to  be  said,  accustom  yourself  to  express  it  in  the  best 


too  r  '.;     tv,'  >r^>   ^JST«    .11^. 

mar   -  Avs:  «r^  the  vvorvSji  :h,a:  t:x>>ii  exAody  vN>n>e5- 

fv«d  v        :   :    : .  Jt^i  \\>«  nK^n  K>  exprx?^;?^    Tbere  are  if w^er 

pot<^.v  Afi  v/  :  in  '  >ver  \v»ur  T 

\-.  ,         VK^ftheo"  .  .:.§■  vM  :ho 

.,  ,.v  .  .:5  ^%>B\i>i  y.  ..  ,-  ,ivte  o<\m^  .  .  :v>  <«f>ek  K>r.  Want 
of  attf£itk>ct  to  thb  cBe:?5rv>Y5  the  sv>ff>ce  ot  nvany  a  <>^ntenoe. 

It  h345^  b«^n  reriTiarkted  ufnoci  as^  a  grreat  excellence  ot  GenT 
WasJiktgtk^ji's  wTtttng  that  ik>  one  odnld  s^uWtinsite  a  sii^de 
word  which  c'd  $>i>  w^H  expre:?*  hb  meiauning.  I  hax-e  heard, 
whether  it  W  trae^  or  ncMt  I  cannot  sar^  tfiat  loc  jeven  vears 
ot*  hb  Kfie  he  n^ver  wrvxe  withcHit  having;  hb  DiHrdonary 
be&>re  hinL 

I  acti  vJehgrhied  with  i^  teeJsngr  you  express  at  yoor  es- 
cape lironi  the  Exhihition  of  the  s»choc4.  I  lament  mnch  the 
instittttk^n  of  them  in  owr  vanou?  ?choolsw  That  w^  shook! 
be  so  indostnoos  to  destiv^r  that  dithclence  which  is  not  onlv 
so  becofctisig;.  hot  so  beneficial,,  to  TOOth  and  tnexperieno^ 
wtmld  aeilonKsh  me,  bat  that  it  s^c  w~ell  acoords  with  the  man- 
ners and  haJbits  ol  thinldnir  of  the  d.i  That  kind  of  a^ 
snrance  which  ames  irom  caOoos  feeUn^  k  di^[t]£tnigr  to  alL 
Asstoranoe.  to  be  ple9ssf*«r  '™^'!^st  be  derived  frv>m  ctilrix-atingr 

in  our  own  minds  a  ^ ^    .on  towards  others — and 

an  tMi&etgned  wish  to  oblige  and  render  alt  axomid  ns  com- 
fioctablie  and  happy — together  wTth  that  knowledgie  of  how- 
to  oofidnct  owDTselves  tti  vairk*a>  situations  which  is  gradually 
acvpnred  by  mingtbs^  with  the  worfcL  In  the  attainment  of 
that  fcno'  \;  ?  mtfich  assistance  may  be  src^t  by  obscrringf 
what  rmders;  such  a  person  pleasing  or  displeasinsr. 

But  I  muKst  say  something:  ftnthcr  upon  the  sabject  of 


^oun^  Ba^te0  of  tge  (J)mo^.  loi 

imitation,  as  I  have  been  led  into  it.  A  young  lady  who 
takes  another  for  a  model,  however  graceful  the  manners  of 
that  person  may  be,  loses  whatever  was  natural  and  easy  in 
her  own;  whilst  allowing  her  even  to  be  successful  in  her 
imitation  (against  which  there  are  many  chances),  they  may 
become  her  as  little  as  the  clothes  of  another  might  do.  My 
daughter  will  not  fail  to  be  struck  with  the  strange  figure 
she  would  make,  for  instance,  in  a  dress  of  Mrs.  R.'s.  Tlie 
loss  of  so  excellent  a  mother  as  you  were  blessed  with,  your 
Aunt  Rogers  undertook  for  a  while  to  supply,  and  you  are 
with  her  as  a  child  of  her  own.  I  fear  to  dwell  too  much 
on  the  obligation  lest  I  should  substitute  awe  and  constraint 
for  ease,  and  destroy  on  both  sides  the  pleasure  of  your  in- 
tercourse. But,  my  dear  daughter,  be  open  with  her:  make 
her  your  confidant.  Could  you  but  have  a  distant  view  of 
the  infinite  mischief  arising  from  a  habit  of  concealment  you 
would  shudder  at  the  bare  thought  of  being  betrayed  into  it. 
How  about  the  drawing  you  were  to  send  me?  How 
could  it  enter  your  head  that  your  letters  were  not  worth  the 
postage..  Twas  not  till  the  loth  of  May  I  got  by  Packet, 
your  letter  of  April  25th. 

Mary  Grafton  Diilany  to  Major  Dtilany. 

August,  1807. 

I  received  your  letter,  dear  Papa,  and  am  very  much 
obliged  for  the  good  advice  you  give  me  and  I  hope  I  shall 
profit  by  it. 

Anne  O.  Rourke  spent  a  week  with  us.  Mrs.  Groom- 
bridge's  vacation  did  not  commence  as  soon  as  the  other 


102  One  ^\xn'^vz'i>  ^tav^  il^o. 

schools,  and  Aunt  excused  us  to  Anne,  and  we  went  as  usual 
to  our  drawing  lesson.  I  went  on  Wednesday  to  Madam 
B's  Exhibition.  There  were  five  Crowns:  the  two  principal 
— for  Eminence  in  lessons,  and  virtue.  The  Crown  of  Emi- 
nence was  given  to  Anne  McKim.  They  were  crowned  in 
great  style  at  the  Assembly  rooms  in  the  presence  of  500 
spectators.  As  for  Mrs.  Groombridge  she  has  postponed 
her  examination  till  Christmas.  She  says  she  will  show  the 
people  what  her  scholars  can  do.  She  was  bitterly  against 
crowns  when  she  first  heard  of  them.  When  I  went  there 
the  next  day  she  told  me  she  would  have  a  crown  for  the 
most  Eminent  of  every  class. 

Ever  your  dutiful  daughter, 

M.    G.   DULANY. 

p.  S.  I  should  like  very  much  to  have  the  Spectator,  but 
Aunt  says  she  supposes  you  read  in  them  yourself:  if  that  is 
the  case  I  would  not  deprive  you.  I  don't  think  I  shall 
read  much  until  I  leave  school.  From  that  time  I  promise 
myself  great  diligence  in  my  books.  I  promise  you  RoUin 
and  Trimmer  shall  have  the  greatest  care  taken  of  them. 

Mary  G^'afton  Dulany  imaged  i^)  to  Major  Dtilany, 

Greenwood,  1806. 
I  am  grieved,  my  dear  Papa,  to  think  of  the  little  inter- 
course bet^veen  us.  Your  letter  which  I  received  a  day  or 
two  ago  was  particularly  gratifying  to  me.  You  can  judge 
by  the  pleasure  you  experience  in  hearing  from  me,  what 
delight  a  letter  from  you  gives  me.  You  say  nothing  of 
coming  from  the  Eastern  Shore,  but  I  sometimes  for  a  mo- 


*9oun3  Balke  of  t^t  (peno^.  103 

ment  indulge  the  idea  that  you  will  one  day  live  amongst  us, 
but  it  promises  too  much  pleasure,  and  it  does  not  become 
me  to  prescribe  for  you.  Perhaps  it  is  a  kind  of  selfishness 
that  arises  from  ignorance  of  your  affairs  that  induces  me  to 
think  you  could  quite  as  well  reverse  matters:  live  here,  and 
pay  a  visit  once  or  twice  a  year  to  the  Eastern  Shore ;  where 
3'ou  must  be  separated  from  all  Society  that  can  be  agreeable 
to  you. 

Bless  *'RolHn!"  I  think  his  characters  and  anecdotes  of 
celebrated  men  very  entertaining;  but  I  think  his  history 
ought  to  be  epitomised  for  females,  for  of  all  things  that 
Peloponesian  war  is  the  dryest  and  most  tedious  to  me.  I 
know  little  more  about  it  than  I  did  before  I  read  it,  except 
that  it  was  fought  between  the  Alceans  and  the  Pelopon- 
esians.  I  found  it  so  uninteresting  I  began  to  think  of  dis- 
missing Mr.  Rollin  and  getting  something  more  entertaining. 

As  to  the  "  Shirt "  which  Aunt  tells  me  she  mentioned  to 
you,  I  think  it  may  vie  in  tediousness  with  the  Peloponesian 
war.  I  went  on  with  it  charmingly  at  first.  It  is  now  laid 
by  till  I  take  breath  for  a  new  assault  when  I  hope  to  give 
the  conquering  blow. 

Aunt  Brice  is  delighted  with  the  French  officers.  She  has 
constantly  at  her  house  five  or  six  every  evening.  Aunt  R. 
does  not  like  my  going  while  they  are  there.  I  should  pre- 
fer being  at  Cousin  Mary's  where  I  could  see  company  when 
I  chose,  for  I  think  I  should  be  surfeited  with  so  much  every 
day, 

I  wish  Papa,  if  convenient,  you  would  bring  my  satin 
wood  box.  I  think  it  will  be  well  to  wrap  it  in  something 
thick  for  fear  it  should  be  rubbed. 

Ever  your  dutiful  daughter. 


104  ^^^  ^untvet)  ^tat^  ilgo. 

Another  letter  says: 

Nancy  Weems  has  arrived  in  town  and  tells  me  Cousin 
Mary  will  be  hurt  if  I  do  not  return  to  Annapolis  with  her. 
If  I  can  get  ready,  I  don't  know  but  I  may,  for  if  I  wait  for 
the  French  Officers  I  may  not  get  there  till  next  Winter: 
besides  I  have  not  such  an  invincible  hatred  to  them,  as  to 
make  me  forego  Cousin  Mary's  agreeable  society. 

P.  S.     "  Mrs.  Twitchem  with  her  one  eye 
A  wondrous  length  of  tail  lets  fly. 
And  as  she  passes  through  every  gap 
Leaves  a  piece  of  her  tail  in  the  trap." 

What  do  you  think  of  this  riddle?  It  puzzled  us  not  a 
little. 

Perhaps  you  will  think  it  of  more  consequence  when  I  tell 
you  it  was  proposed  by  the  Bishop  of  London. 

Write  me  word  what  you  think  it  is. 

Even  in  this  age  of  advanced  education  I  am  sure  it  will 
be  difficult  to  find  among  young  ladies  of  thirteen  a  more 
attractive  letter-writer,  though  one  cannot  help  smiling  at 
her  desiring  that  "  Rollin  "  should  be  "  epitomized  for  fe- 
males." It  is  a  little  mark  to  show  how  the  age  has  ad- 
vanced in  its  ideas  of  feminine  capacity.  This  young  lady, 
by  the  way,  was  named  Mary  Grafton  Hesselius  Dulany. 
Both  Mrs.  Dulany  and  Mrs.  Hesselius  being  named  Mary, 
she  was  named  for  both. 

But  we  must  return  to  Primrose. 

"  Primrose  Hill,"  writes  my  uncle,  "  was  a  centre  of  great 
attraction.     The  young  found  much  pleasure  in  the  beauty 


"Poung  Babie©  of  t^c  (peno^.  105 

and  accomplishments  of  the  young  ladies,  and  the  grave  and 
serious  had  the  greatest  delight  in  the  society  of  my  grand- 
mother. My  father  soon  found  his  way  there.  His  visits 
at  first  were  to  my  grandmother,  to  hear  her  talk  and  to 
gather  instruction  from  her  lips.  The  girls,  much  amused 
at  this  intimacy,  used  to  call  him  '  Mamma's  Beau.'  How- 
ever, other  motives  after  a  while  threw  their  influences 
around  him.  Miss  Eliza,  who  had  been  at  school  in  Balti- 
more for  several  years  under  the  care  of  her  eldest  sister^ 
Mrs.  Philip  Rogers,  at  length  returned  home.  She  was  just 
seventeen  and  very  pretty,  and  what  was  better  she  had 
superior  graces  of  the  mind.  A  mutual  attachment  soon 
sprung  up  between  them,  and  in  June,  1792,  they  were  mar- 
ried. My  Aunt  Charlotte  was  married  on  the  same  night  to 
Mr.  Thomas  Johnson  (son  of  the  Governor),  and  a  very 
large  company  was  invited  to  Primrose.  The  bridesmaids 
were  Miss  Sarah  Leitch  (daughter  of  Major  Leitch,  aid  to 
Gen'l  Washington,  who  was  killed  at  Harlem  Plains;  she 
afterwards  married  my  uncle  John  Addison);  Miss  Murray, 
afterwards  Mrs.  Gov.  Lloyd;  Miss  Maria  IMurray,  afterw^ards 
Mrs.  Gen'l  Mason,  and  Miss  Cromwell,  afterwards  Mrs.  Lee. 
"  At  that  time  Oxon  Hill  was  occupied  by  Mr.  Washing- 
ton. My  father  rented  a  house  near  by  of  Mr.  Dennis  Ma- 
gruder;  and  Uncle  John,  marrying  about  the  same  time  Miss 
Leitch  (by  the  way,  a  great  belle  and  a  great  beauty),*  they 


*  In  an  old  letter  without  date  Mrs.  Belt  says  :  "  Miss  Leitch  with  her 
hair  crimped  looks  divinely.  Great  preparations  are  making  for  her 
appearance  at  the  Races.  She  has  worked  herself  a  very  handsome 
muslin  gown  with  a  long  train,  and  fortunately  a  new  cap  &  some  other 
little  articles  of  finery  are  just  arrived  from  England." 


io6  One  ^un^re^  "Peare  dtlgo. 

determined  to  rent  the  house  between  them,  as  Giesborough, 
my  uncle's  place,  was  also  under  rent. 

"  The  two  families  lived  in  great  happiness  together,  and 
from  this  fact  my  grandmother  Hesselius  called  the  place 
*  Harmony  Hall,'  which  name  it  retains  to  this  day.'' 

During  this  happy  year  he  continued  with  diligence  his 
theological  studies,  and  June,  1793,  removed  to  Oxon  Hill. 


W?-^ 


CHAPTER  IX. 

His  Early  Ministry. 

1793-1799- 

^•.6>  HAVE  before  me  two  venerable  parchments,  yel- 
low with  age,  and  with  clumsy  seals  attached  to 
them.  The  first  is  dated  August,  1793,  and  reads 
as  follows :  "  Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that 
I,  Thomas  Jno.  Claggett  holding  a  general  Ordi- 
nation by  the  assistance  of  Almighty  God  on  Sunday,  the 
26th  day  of  May  1793,  in  the  Parish  Church  of  St  Peters 
Talbot,  did  admit  our  beloved  in  Christ,  Walter  Dulany 
Addison,  unto  the  Holy  Order  of  Deacons.  In  testimony 
whereof,  I  have  affixed  my  Episcopal  Seal,  this  22nd  day  of 
November,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  above  written,  and  in 
the  second  of  my  Consecration." 

I  touch  this  old  paper  reverently.  It  is  the  commission 
of  a  faithful  soldier  of  the. Cross,  who  fought  a  good  fight 
and  entered  into  rest  half  a  century  ago,  full  of  faith  and 
good  works.  His  was  the  first  ordination  by  our  first 
Bishop,  who  himself  had  been  consecrated  only  six  months 
before  in  Trinity  Church,  New  York,  September,  1792. 

"  This  elevation  to  the  Episcopate,"  says  Mr.  Allen,  '[  was 
the  first  instance  of  the  national  independence  of  the  Church, 
showing  that  it  had  no  longer  need  to  seek  consecration 


loS  One  ^un^rc^  "Peave  dtlgo. 

abroad.  In  him  America  had  its  first  home-made  Bishop. 
.  .  .  Bishop  Claggett  had  been  very  loyal  to  the  Church  of 
England,  and  had  the  courage  to  remain  true  to  her  against 
the  current  of  popular  feeling.  Although  he  had  been  for- 
bidden to  use  the  prayer  for  the  king,  he  had  gone  through 
the  entire  service  (although  as  pale  as  death)  in  the  presence 
of  a  band  of  armed  men  who  stood  within  the  church.  He 
was  threatened  with  riots,  yet  remained  true  to  his  convic- 
tions; but  finding  that  he  could  not  conscientiously  perform 
his  duties,  he  retired  to  private  life."  After  the  war  was 
ended  he  took  an  active  part  in  organizing  the  Am.erican 
Church,  and  in  1791  w^as  unanimously  elected  Bishop.  "  His 
sermons,"  continues  Mr.  Allen,  "  were  always  preachings  of 
the  Gospel  in  its  purity."  Such  was  the  leader  under  whom 
Mr.  Addison  entered  the  ministry. 

The  manuscript  of  my  uncle,  Wm.  Meade  Addison,  which 
was  written  under  the  dictation  of  my  grandfather,  gives  the 
following  account  of  the  circumstances  attending  his  ordina- 
tion: 

"  He  (Mr.  Addison)  had  for  years  been  studying  to  enter 
the  ministry,  and  in  the  spring  of  1793  he  repaired  to  the 
Eastern  Shore  to  receive  ordination  at  the  hands  of  Bishop 
Claggett.  The  convention  of  the  Episcopal  Church  was 
about  to  meet  at  Easton,  and  he  left  Oxon  Hill  to  attend  its 
deliberations  as  spectator,  and  after  its  adjournment  to  be 
ordained  Deacon. 

"  The  state  of  piety  in  our  church  was  very  low  at  this 
time.  Many  of  the  clergy  were  men  who  had  entered  the 
ministry  not  for  the  glory  of  Christ,  but  for  the  honor  and 
advantage  of  themselves."     (This   sad   state  of  things  was, 


Ofiination  an^  6at*fp  QUtntettp.  109 

alas!  not  confined  to  the  Episcopal  clergy.)  "  Genuine  piety" 
was  almost  circumscribed  to  the  laity.  Occasionally  there 
might  be  seen  a  minister  whose  humility,  zeal  and  piety  at- 
tested his  fitness  for  his  office,  but  rarely  was  the  heart  of 
the  believer  gladdened  by  the  sight.  One  clergyman  but  a 
short  time  before  had  murdered  an  adversary  and  been  con- 
victed of  and  punished  for  it.  Many  of  them  passed  their 
lives  in  rioting  and  revelling.  The  ball-room,  the  card 
party  and  the  bar-room  they  frequented,  and  by  the  irregu- 
larity of  their  lives,  as  well  as  by  the  tenor  of  their  preaching, 
exhibited  their  unfitness  for  the  sacred  duties  of  the  Sanctu- 
ary. 

"  The  pious  members  of  our  Church  mourned  its  dis- 
honor. They  were  driven  from  their  own  Temples  to  the 
meeting-houses  of  the  Methodists.  Mr.  Addison  remem- 
bers seeing  pious  laymen  pass  the  church  of  which  Mr.  Hig- 
ginbotham  was  Rector  in  the  city  of  Annapolis  and  go  to  the 
Methodists.  They  would  not  separate  themselves  from  their 
own  Church,  or  become  members  of  another,  but  they  went 
where  they  could  hear  the  Word  of  God  truly  preached, 
which  they  could  not  do  in  their  own  Communion.  Mr. 
Higginbotham  was  fond  of  card  playing,  and  one  Sunday 
morning  in  drawing  out  his  handkerchief  a  pack  of  cards 
escaped  from  his  pocket,  and  from  the  height  of  his  '  three- 
decker  '  pulpit  was  scatteded  over  the  chancel,  to  the  amuse- 
ment of  the  congregation. 

"  Mr.  Addison  before  his  ordination  had  acquired  some 
reputation  for  piety.  It  was  known  that  he  would  not  attend 
theatres,  balls,  &c.,  and  that  he  condemned  it  in  others.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Messenger,  who  was  Rector  of  the  parish  in  which 


Mr.  A.  lived,  was  a  member  of  the  Standing  Committee,  and 
he  determined  to  prevent,  if  possible,  his  admittance  into  the 
Ministry,  on  the  plea  that  Mr.  A.'s  views  were  Puritanical,  or 
inclined  to  the  Methodists,  but  Mr.  Carr,  the  gentleman  who 
had  been  Mr.  Addison's  guardian,  was  also  one  of  the  vestry 
of  Mr.  Messenger's  Church  and  a  man  of  influence.  By  his 
vigorous  interference  Mr.  M.  was  induced  to  withhold  his 
opposition.  This  Reverend  gentleman,  at  the  wedding  of 
Mr.  A.'s  sister  to  Mr.  Samuel  Ridout,  of  Annapolis,  actually 
played  the  fiddle  for  the  company  to  dance. 

"  While  attending  the  Convention  as  a  spectator,  Mr. 
Addison  looked  into  our  Canons,  and  discovered  that  those 
for  clerical  discipline  were  inadequate.  Having  inquired 
into  the  character  of  the  Clergy  present,  he  learned  that 
among  them  was  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Coleman,  of 
Baltimore  Forest,  distinguished  for  his  Christian  zeal  and 
purity  of  life.  On  him  he  called  and  suggested  to  him  to 
take  measures  for  adopting  a  Canon  which  should  prohibit 
the  Clergy  from  frequenting  taverns  and  places  of  vicious 
amusement,  and  from  frequenting  Balls,  &c.  Mr.  Coleman 
would  probably  have  to  meet  with  strenuous  opposition  and 
have  to  encounter  the  charges  of  innovation  and  Puritanical 
strictness;  but  Mr.  Addison  happened  to  have  in  his  pocket 
at  that  moment  a  copy  of  the  Canons  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land that  would  refute  these  charges.  Mr.  Coleman  ac- 
ceded to  the  proposition  and  offered  the  Resolution,  which 
was  immediately  opposed  by  Mr.  Higginbotham,  who  was 
followed  and  supported  by  Rev.  George  Ralph.  (Whether 
others  opposed  it  in  debate  A^Lr.  Addison  does  not  remember.) 
Mr.  Coleman  replied,  produced  the  Canons  of  the  Church  of 


OtrMnation  (irx't>  ^avf^  QUimett^.  in 

England,  showed  that  he  was  no  innovator,  stated  that  he 
only  desired  that  the  discipline  of  the  Church  of  England 
should  be  applied  to  the  Church  in  this  state,  and  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  having  the  proposed  Canon  passed."  That  it  was 
adopted,  and  also  the  fact  that  so  good  and  true  a  man  as 
Bishop  Claggett  was  unanimously  chosen  Bishop,  proved 
that,  although  the  standard  of  religious  life  was  very  low  in 
the  Church,  there  existed  an  honest  desire  for  better  things, 
which  opened  the  door  of  hope  to  those  who  were  praying 
for  her  regeneration.  Thus  young  Walter  Addison  dealt  his 
first  blow  for  the  honor  of  the  Church  of  God,  and  it  was 
aimed  with  a  directness  which  justified  Mr.  Messenger's  mis- 
givings. 

"  Some  time  after,  Mr.  Messenger,  finding  that  his  appre- 
hensions were  realized,  tried  to  divert  Mr.  A.  from  his 
course.  He  addressed  him  a  long  letter,  in  which  these 
amusements  were  ably  defended.  Mr.  A.  recognized  it  as 
part  of  one  of  Seed's  Sermons  (written  against  these  very 
amusements),  in  which  the  author  arrays  all  that  can  be  said 
in  their  favor  in  the  first  part  of  his  discourse,  and  then  refutes 
every  argument  adduced  in  their  support  in  the  second  por- 
tion. The  second  part  was  withheld  by  Mr.  M.:  the  poison 
administered  without  the  antidote. 

"  Mr.  A.'s  first  thought  was  to  send  him  the  second  part 
of  the  sermon,  but  as  Mr.  M.  was  advanced  in  years  he 
questioned  the  propriety  of  doing  so  to  one  whose  age  en- 
titled him  to  reverence.  He  contented  himself  with  answer- 
ing the  views  in  his  own  language,  declaring  that  his  con- 
science constrained  him  to  hold  opinions  dififerent  from 
those  entertained  by  Mr.  M.,  and  obliged  him  to  pursue  the 
course  he  was  then  engaged  in. 


112  One  ^unbre^  "Pearg  ilgo. 

"  He  had  procured  from  England  a  pamphlet  addressed  to 
*  People  of  Fashion/  which  he  carried  with  him  to  the  first 
Convention  of  the  Diocese.  This  he  caused  to  be  repub- 
lished and  widely  circulated,  and  he  believed  that  it  con- 
tributed not  a  little  towards  the  establishment  of  the  Lay 
Discipline  now  regulated  by  the  Canons  of  the  Diocese  as 
revised  in  1836- 1847,  the  year  of  his  death.  It  was  a  great 
cause  of  thankfulness  to  him  that  he  was  spared  to  witness 
the  recognition  by  the  Episcopal  Church  of  principles  and 
rules  of  life  as  essential  to  Christian  character,  which  half  a 
century  before  he  had  been  ridiculed  for  maintaining  and 
striving  to  enforce. 

''  The  race-field  at  that  time  was  attended,  without  scruple, 
by  professing  Christians.  As  regularly  as  each  season  for 
racing  came  on  he  preached  against  it.  Frequently  this  gave 
offence,  but  as  he  never  noticed  the  displeasure,  it  soon 
passed  away,  and  the  temporarily  deserted  pews  were  again 
filled." 

I  am  tempted  here  to  give  a  quotation  from  Dean  Hole, 
illustrative  of  the  same  period  in  the  English  Church :  "  I 
remember  a  remark  of  the  late  Bishop  of  London,  Dr.  Jack- 
son, that  when  he  recalled  the  sad  condition  of  apathy,  indo- 
lence and  disobedience  into  which  the  Church  of  England 
had  fallen  it  seemed  marvellous  that  it  continued  to  exist: 
that  it  should  survive  such  manifest  indications  of  decay.  I 
did  not  share  his  surprise,  believing  that  as  a  branch  of  the 
true  vine  it  may  droop  but  it  cannot  wither.  Moreover, 
there  was  the  remnant  of  7000  which  had  not  bowed  the  knee 
to  the  Baal  of  worldliness. 

"'  The  Evangelicals,  the  Wesleyans  (not  then  severed  from 


^r^inatton  ant  6arfj  QUintetr^.  113 

the  Church),  and  devout  Christians  in  all  grades  of  society, 
kept  the  lamp  from  going  out  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord. 
The  pulse  of  spiritual  life  was  slow  and  intermittent,  but  it 
encouraged  hope.  And  so  I  record  the  memory  of  my  boy- 
hood, were  it  only  to  suggest  and  to  strengthen  the  grati- 
tude which  we  owe  for  a  revival  of  faith,  by  the  recollection 
of  neglect  and  dereliction.  I  remember  with  a  reverent  re- 
gard those  '  holy  and  humble  men  of  heart,'  who,  few  in 
number,  the  fewer  the  greater  share  of  honour,  followed  in 
quietness  the  steps  of  their  Divine  A/[aster,  and  went  about 
doing  good  in  schools  and  colleges,  sick  rooms  and 
mourner's  houses,  from  that  '  Charity  which  vaunteth  not 
itself.' 

"  The  Clergy  were,  with  few  exceptions,  indifferent  to  their 
duties  and  unworthy  of  their  office:  they  did  as  little  as 
decency  compelled,  and  that  but  once  a  week.  They  ate  the 
fat  and  clothed  themselves  with  the  wool,  but  they  did  not 
feed  the  fiock,  and  the  people  loved  to  have  it  so. 

"  Had  he  lifted  up  his  voice  like  a  trumpet,  as  St.  James, 
he  would  have  been  denounced  as  a  Methodist."  He  goes 
on  to  say  of  the  "Revival":  "In  that  great  revival  of  Re- 
ligion, the  glorious  truths  of  the  Gospel  and  the  ancient 
writers  of  the  Catholic  faith  were  restored  to  a  disobedient 
and  gainsaying  people  who  had  forgotten  and  slighted  them 
so  long.  They  were  with  us  in  our  Bibles  and  Prayer 
Books,  in  our  Sacraments  and  means  of  grace,  but  hidden 
from  our  eyes  like  the  colours  of  the  picture  by  the  dust  of  a 
long  neglect." 

Another  difficulty  which  Bishop  Claggett  had  to  encounter 
was  a  financial  one.     "  The  voluntary  contributions  of  the 


114  ^ne  ^unbt-e^  'Qeare  ilgo. 

people  were  not  equal  to  those  which  had  been  enforced  by 
the  Government  for  the  Established  Church,  and  the  for- 
tunes of  many  had  been,  more  or  less,  embarrassed  by  the 
war,  so  that  they  could  not  give  as  they  might  otherwise 
have  wished  to  do.  Besides  this,  the  recession  of  the  Eng- 
lish Clergy  had  left  the  Church  with  an  insufficient  supply  of 
ministers,  and  in  the  struggle  to  maintain  themselves  the 
common  resource  was  to  join  several  parishes  together  with 
services  on  different  Sundays,  which  rendered  their  duties 
arduous  and  impossible  to  discharge  adequately." 

My  grandfather  was  essentially  a  man  of  one  idea,  and  in 
this  probably  consisted  his  strength.  His  one  idea  appears 
to  have  been  to  raise  the  standard  of  religion  in  the  Church 
he  loved,  and  to  purify  her  from  the  scandals  which  made 
her  a  byword. 

The  low  tone  of  religion  which  produced  Wesley  and 
Whitfield,  in  England,  inspired  him  with  the  earnest  and 
enthusiastic  resolve,  as  far  as  in  him  lay,  to  labor  for  the 
regeneration  of  the  Episcopal  Church;  not  to  desert  her  in 
her  hour  of  weakness  and  desolation,  but  by  using  every 
effort  in  his  power,  in  the  legitimate  exercise  of  his  office  as 
her  ordained  minister,  to  arouse  her  to  a  new  life.  This,  his 
unwavering  aim,  he  steadily  and  persistently  pursued  till  his 
latest  breath. 

Sprague's  American  Pulpit  says  of  him :  "  He  no  sooner 
entered  upon  the  ministry  than  he  made  war  upon  fashion- 
able amusements  of  balls,  card-playing,  theatres,  &c.,  in 
which  laity  and  clergy  at  that  time  alike  indulged.  This  war 
he  continued  to  carry  on  from  the  pulpit  until  his  infirmities 
withdrew  him  from  that  scene  of  labor.     In  private  and  in 


public,  in  prosperity  and  adversity,  in  the  vigor  of  youth  and 
the  decrepitude  of  age,  as  a  minister  actively  engaged  in  his 
duties  and  a  minister  retired  from  public  service,  he  steadily 
opposed  them  by  precept  and  example  as  fatal  to  spiritual 
life." 

His  extreme  truthfulness  and  simplicity  of  character  made 
it  impossible  for  him  to  reconcile  these  things  with  the 
solemn  baptismal  vow  of  the  Christian.  Doubtless  these 
evils,  which  had  become  so  great  a  scandal  in  the  Church, 
may  have  presented  themselves  to  him  in  exaggerated  im- 
portance. 

The  Christianity  of  our  day  wisely  ceases  to  antagonize 
the  outward  manifestations  of  the  absence  of  religion  in  the 
heart,  but  pursues  the  plan  of  endeavoring  to  awaken  the 
sonl  to  a  sense  of  better  things,  thus  aiming  to  treat  the 
source  of  the  disease  rather  than  its  symptoms.  But  let  us 
not  forget  that  we  live  in  a  more  enlightened  day.  God  uses 
different  instruments  and  suits  them  to  different  conditions 
in  His  Church.  We  must  consider  that  the  "  Garden  of  the 
Lord "  was  at  this  time  about  to  be  newly  planted  and 
ordered,  and  those  who  were  to  do  the  work  found  that 
thorns  and  weeds  had  entirely  overgrown  it.  The  hedges 
were  broken  down,  lawlessness  and  disorder  reigned,  and 
before  the  good  work  of  planting  and  building  could  be 
effectual  it  was  necessary  first  of  all  that  the  ground  should 
be  cleared  and  prepared  for  the  good  seed.  The  men  who 
did  this  work  were  followed  by  those  of  different  gifts,  able 
to  build  up  and  adorn  where  they  had  only  broken  the 
ground,  opening  the  way  for  work  which,  without  them, 
would  have  been  impossible. 


ii6  (T)^^  ^un^rc^  '^eare  dtl^o. 

Of  good  Bishop  Claggett's  successor.  Bishop  Kemp,  it  is 
said :  "  It  was  not  his  wont  to  attack  by  name  any  worldly 
amusement,  however  objectionable,  endeavoring  to  imbue 
the  people  with  Christian  feeling,  by  which  he  believed  they 
would  become  Christians  in  practice." 

Immediately  after  the  adjournment  of  the  Convention  at 
Easton,  Mr.  Addison  took  charge  of  Queen  Anne's  Parish, 
Prince  George's  county.  This  parish  had  formerly  been 
filled  by  Rev.  Jacob  Henderson,  who  held  the  office  of  Com- 
missary or  Supervisor  to  the  Colonial  Church.  It  is  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Allen  as  a  beautiful  tract.  The  neighbor- 
hood was  settled  by  the  Ridgelys,  Snowdens  and  others,  all 
rich  planters.  Mr.  Henderson  had  married  a  wealthy  lady 
and  lived  on  his  own  estate  (Bel  Air),  as  did  his  successor, 
Dr.  Brogden,  at  Roedown.  (From  this  I  presume  there 
was  no  rectory  connected  with  the  church.)  Henderson's 
Chapel  was  also  included  in  this  parish.  The  flock  were 
widely  scattered,  and  the  great  distances  between  these 
churches  and  his  own  residence  rendered  Mr.  A.'s  duties  as 
pastor  very  arduous.  In  addition,  his  health  had  begun 
seriously  to  fail,  and  he  found  that  his  utmost  diligence  still 
left  his  work  incomplete.  Finding  that  he  could  not  dis- 
charge his  duties  to  his  satisfaction,  he  determined  to  resign, 
which  he  did  after  two  years'  service,  though  my  uncle  says 
he  frequently  preached  for  them  afterwards. 

At  the  Convention  of  1796  he  was  appointed  on  the  Stand- 
ing Committee,  but  declined  to  serve,  urging  the  disadvan- 
tage of  his  youth  and  inexperience.  He  was  also  appointed 
Visitor  for  Charles  county,  which  he  declined  on  the  same 
plea.     He   had   evidently   learned   from   his   experience    at 


Or^tnafion  anl  6atf^  (TlUmetrp.  117 

Queen  Anne's  a  lesson  of  humility.  Though  always  re- 
markable for  his  modesty,  he  had,  notwithstanding,  by 
nature  a  great  deal  of  self-reliance.  Experience,  however, 
had  taught  him  a  little  self-distrust,  or,  at  all  events,  to  esti- 
mate more  truly  his  position  as  a  young  clergyman,  and  to 
feel  the  want  of  a  larger  knowledge  of  men  and  of  the  world. 
The  following  letter  belongs  to  this  period: 

To  BisJiop  Claggeti. 

January  ^th,  1797. 
Rt.  Rev.  &  Dear  Sir  : 

Agreeably  to  yr  Request  I  have  examined  Mr  Swann  on 
the  several  Branches  of  Science  required  by  the  7th  Canon 
of  Genl  Convention.  It  strikes  me  that  he  has  a  genl  know- 
ledge of  most  of  them,  on  some  particular  points — he  is  able 
to  bear  a  much  closer  examination  than  I  am  able  to  give 
him — I  am  really  sorr\^  it  will  not  lie  in  my  power  to  be  with 
you  on  Thursday  I  hope  it  will  be  in  my  power  to  so  ar- 
range matters  in  the  spring,  that  I  can  leave  Home  without 
suffering  great  inconvenience  which  can  not  be  done  at 
present  I  assure  you.  I  now  fully  propose  to  rent  out  my 
Farms.  I  shall  then  be  able  to  attend  more  to  ministerial 
Duties.  Of  course  I  shall  have  it  in  my  power  to  preach  for 
you  when  you  are  called  from  Home. 

You  will  please  present  my  compliments  to  Mrs  Claggett 
and  the  young  ladies. 

My  uncle  continues:  "He  now  gave  himself  up  to  study, 
and  to  the  ministrations  which  fell  in  his  way,  whether  in 


ii8  Cne  ^un'i>vt'i)  'Peare  ilgo. 

assisting  his  Rector,  now  old  and  increasingly  infirm,  or  in 
ministering  to  the  '  scattered  remnant '  in  Georgetown,  or  in 
visiting  the  sick  and  poor,  and  thus  several  years  passed 
away.  His  time  was  fully  occupied  in  assisting  other  Rec- 
tors and  in  performing  whatever  acts  of  beneficence  came  in 
his  way.  One  of  these,  which  proved  very  successful,  I  will 
recount:  In  one  of  his  rides  he  found,  in  a  distant  part  of 
his  estate,  a  wretched  cabin,  on  entering  which  he  beheld  a 
widow  woman  and  six  children  in  a  state  of  great  destitu- 
tion. Very  near  the  Oxon  Hill  gate  resided  a  respectable 
colored  man  in  a  very  comfortable  house.  My  father  suc- 
ceeded in  persuading  him,  for  the  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars, 
to  exchange  his  habitation  for  another,  and  here  he  estab- 
lished the  family,  that  he  might  have  them  directly  under  his 
eye,  sending  his  wagon  for  them,  and  making  them  as  com- 
fortable as  he  could.  As  the  boys  grew  up  they  were  ap- 
prenticed to  good  mechanics,  and  the  girls  married  respect- 
ably." 

Dr.  Addison  also  gives  the  following  anecdote  of  his  early 
ministry :  "  He  was  once  sent  for  to  see  an  old  gentleman  in 
the  neighborhood,  who  was  very  ill.  He  was  notorious  for 
his  hard  swearing;  the  habit  had  strengthened  with  his  years 
and  become  inveterate. 

"  After  reading  the  Scriptures  and  prayer,  my  father  took 
the  old  man  kindly  by  the  hand,  and  said :  *  Mr.  Lowe,  if  it 
should  please  God  to  spare  your  life  I  hope  you  will  never 
swear  again.'  *  No,  Wattie,'  said  he;  '  ii  I  do,  I  hope  I  may 
be  d — d.'  I  did  not  get  this  story  from  my  father,  but  sev- 
eral persons  were  present  and  it  got  out." 

In  1801  Mr.  Addison  returned  to  Oxon  Hill,  and  for  this 


Ordination  anb  (Barfp  QUinietr^.  119 

and  the  succeeding  years  he  continued  to  preach  at  different 
churches  in  his  neighborhood,  more  especially  at  St.  Johns, 
"  Broad  Creek,"  for  Mr.  Messenger,  who  had  now  become 
old  and  very  infirm.  Finding  this  old  church  in  a  very 
ruinous  condition,  he  applied  to  the  vestry  to  repair  it;  they 
replied  that  they  had  tried  to  raise  funds  for  that  purpose, 
"but  could  only  get  subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  twelve 
dollars  and  fifty  cents.  He  at  once  took  the  matter  in  hand 
and  succeeded  in  having  it  new  roofed,  etc.,  at  an  expense  of 
from  $500  to  $600.  It  was  about  this  time  that  Mr.  Hanson 
offered  Hart  Park  for  sale,  and  my  grandfather  repurchased 
it,  and  a  year  or  two  after  removed  his  family  there.  The 
climate  of  Oxon  Hill  had  never  agreed  with  him,  but  I  have 
lieard  that  he  also  gave  as  a  reason  for  his  change  of  resi- 
dence that  he  found  the  expense  of  keeping  up  so  large  an 
establishment  burdensome,  for  the  house,  ample  as  it  was, 
was  generally  full  of  guests;  but  I  have  also  heard  that  when 
the  alterations  he  made  in  Hart  Park  were  completed,  there 
was  very  little  difference  in  point  of  size  between  the  two 
houses.  This,  however,  was  partly  owing,  no  doubt,  to  a 
scheme  which  he  had  been  forming,  of  undertaking  a  school 
there;  one  was  very  much  needed  at  that  time  to  prepare 
iDoys  for  college. 

My  uncle's  narrative  continues:  "In  the  year  1794  there 
was  no  Episcopal  Church  in  Washington  City,  and  hearing 
that  there  were  some  Episcopal  families  in  Georgetown,  my 
father  visited  the  place,  and  was  invited  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Balch,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  to  hold  Episcopal  ser- 
vices in  his  Church,  and  he  continued  to  hold  services  there 
for  some  years.     '  It  was  a  shame,'  the  good  Dr.  would  say. 


120  One  ^untvt'^  ^tav^  il^o. 

'  that  the  Episcopahans  should  not  be  able  to  worship  ac- 
cording to  their  own  views  and  tastes/  Not  only  did  he 
lend  his  pulpit,  but  actually  suggested  to  Mr.  Addison  to  try 
and  erect  the  Church,  since  known  as  the  '  Old  Church '  (St. 
John's),  and  tendered  a  subscription  in  cash,  which  Mr. 
Addison  always  believed  was  every  cent  at  the  time  in  his 
possession.  ^Ir.  Addison  prepared  a  subscription  paper 
and  called  on  I\Ir.  Barclay,  of  Georgetown,  a  gentleman  of 
means.  '  Bless  you.  Sir,'  was  the  answer,  '  we  don't  want  a 
Church;  the  place  is  past  that.  I'll  subscribe  for  a  jail,  but 
a  Church  is  useless  here;  the  place  can't  be  benefitted  by 
such  means.'  He  however  succeeded  in  raising  some  funds, 
which  were  applied  to  it,  and  the  Church  was  completed  at 
length  and  the  Rev.  ]\Ir.  Sayre  established  as  Rector,  I  think, 
in  the  year  1804. 

"  My  father's  whole  study  was  how  he  could  make  himself 
most  useful  to  the  world,  and,  with  my  mother's  consent,  he 
opened  a  school  at  Hart  Park.  I  think  he  did  this,  that 
without  injury  to  his  family  he  might  educate  some  poor 
relations,  w^ho  were  unable  to  pay  for  their  schooling.  Six 
or  more  he  educated  free  of  cost  (clothing  them  besides),  and 
when  nearly  grown  procured  employment  for  them.  He 
had  an  average  of  20  scholars,  }et  financially  I  think  the 
school  was  never  a  success,  though  the  good  which  it  en- 
abled him  to  do  was  among  the  exalted  pleasures  of  his  life, 
and  he  had  always  a  passion  for  teaching,  which  continued 
to  the  end  of  his  life." 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  Year  at  Annapolis. 
1799-1801. 

N  the  Autumn  of  1799,  I  think  it  was"  (writes  my 
uncle),  "  an  accident  happened  on  the  road  between 
Oxon  Hill  and  Giesborough  that  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  my  mother's  ill-health,  which  a  few  years 
after  terminated  her  life.  She  was  extremely  fond  of  exer- 
cising on  horseback.  One  day,  while  on  her  way  to  visit 
my  Aunt,  Mrs.  John  Addison,  her  horse  stumbled,  or  gave 
way  in  one  of  his  hind  legs,  and  in  order  to  preserve  her 
^eat  my  mother  made  a  violent  effort,  which  caused  the  rup- 
ture of  a  small  blood-vessel  in  the  lungs.  The  bleeding  was 
small,  and  after  a  few  days  all  anxiety  ceased;  but  some 
months  after  a  sudden  start  in  sleep  caused  the  hemorrhage 
to  recur,  and  a  very  gradual  decline  ensued."  What  made 
this  the  more  distressing  was  the  fact  (which  my  uncle  does 
not  mention)  that  the  "  start "  was  caused  by  my  grand- 
father himself,  who,  finding  her  asleep  one  day  on  a  sofa, 
and  wishing  to  awake  her,  playfully  touched  her  with  a 
feather  which  he  held  in  his  hand,  with  this  fatal  result. 

His  removal  to  Annapolis  and  residence  there,  during  the 
year  1800,  was  probably  occasioned  by  his  desire  that  she 
might  have  the  gratification  of  being  near  her  mother.     His 


122  One  'j^Mn'f>v^'i>  '^eare  Jlgo. 

own  health,  too,  was  at  this  time  very  bad,  and  having  no 
regular  charge  it  was  in  his  power  to  take  a  much-needed 
rest. 

For  some  time  previously  my  grandfather's  mind  had 
been  much  exercised  on  a  subject  which  was  just  then  begin- 
ning to  excite  discussion  in  the  minds  of  earnest  men,  a  sub- 
ject which  has  since  convulsed  and  nearly  rent  asunder  our 
whole  country.  Slavery  had  been  considered  just  and  right 
by  the  most  scrupulous.  It  was  thought  to  be  sanctioned 
by  Holy  Writ,  and  to  be  a  necessary  arrangement:  beneficial 
as  well  to  the  slaves,  who  were  brought  out  of  savage 
heathenism  to  a  higher  state  of  civilization,  as  to  the  masters 
whom  they  served.  The  duty  of  treating  them  with  consid- 
eration and  kindness  was  fully  recognized,  and  we  find  on 
the  old  tombstones  a  "  good  master  "  is  placed  with  a  "  kind 
Tiusband  "  and  an  "  afifectionate  father."  From  the  Church 
records,  etc.,  which  I  have  seen  there  was  evidently  an 
•earnest  effort  made  to  Christianize  them  and  admit  them  to 
the  Church.  Public  opinion  was  also  against  their  ill-treat- 
ment. The  state  of  the  public  conscience,  however,  I  think 
cannot  be  better  illustrated  than  by  the  following  letters 
from  my  great-great-grandmother  Dulany  to  her  son.  Major 
Dulany.  Her  own  letters  and  all  the  family  traditions  show 
her  to  have  been  a  woman  of  tender  feelings  and  that  she  was 
a  kind  and  sympathetic  mistress,  and  yet  she  seems  to  have 
had  no  scruple  whatever  about  selling  her  servants.  Cruel 
masters  at  that  time  were  most  unusual,  and  she  seems  to 
liave  parted  with  her  servants  with  as  little  compunction  as 
the  mistress  of  a  household  in  the  present  day  dismisses 
them  when  she  finds  it  necessary  to  reduce  her  expenditure. 


cE  "Pear  at  ilnnapofte.  123 

Nevertheless,  it  was  with  a  shock,  I  confess,  that  I  read  the 
following  letters: 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Diilany  to  her  sort: 

Aug.  yth,  1783. 

As  for  Jacob,  I  gave  the  best  Description  I  could,  of  him 
(having  never  laid  eyes  on  him)  as  a  likely  young  Fellow  of 
two  or  three  and  twenty.  I  have  since  heard  from  Gen'l 
Washington  that  after  the  siege  of  York  he  eloped  from  his 
Master  Capt.  Bradford  and  stole  part  of  his  clothes. 

I  have  been  obliged  to  sell  all  the  negroes  belonging  to  y'r 
uncle's  Estate:  otherwise  I  would  most  freely  have  parted 
with  some  of  them  to  help  you.  They  were  an  unmanage- 
able set  through  their  master's  over  Indulgence.  Besides 
there  is  such  a  spirit  of  setting  them  free  amongst  us,  that  it 
was  thought  most  Advisable  to  part  with  them,  and  rent  the 
land  lest  they  should  be  quite  lost  to  us. 

On  Maj.  Dulany's  return  to  America,  he  found  his  land 
confiscated  and  seems  to  have  been  a  good  deal  embarrassed 
in  consequence.  His  mother  endeavored  to  console  him 
with  her  confidence  in  the  favor  and  goodness  of  Providence, 
in  a  case  where  we  might  feel  he  had  no  reason  to  look  for 
it.  It  is  evident,  from  the  perfect  naivete  with  which  she 
writes  that  she  herself  has  no  misgivings  whatever  as  to  the 
righteousness  of  the  course  she  justifies. 

In  March,  1798,  she  writes  again:  "  I  hope  you  will  come 
to  view  your  Situation  in  a  more  favorable  light.  You 
already  seem  impressed  that  Providence  has  favored  you  in 


124  <2Dne  ^un^reb  '^eare  dtlgo. 

several  instances.  You  and  I  have  experienced  in  general 
great  favors  from  it.  Enough  I  think  to  make  us  confide  in 
it:  and  I  hope  when  you  send  your  slaves  to  market  you  will 
find  it  so  in  an  Eminent  Degree. 

God  forever  bless  my  darling  son,  and  prosper  him  in  all 
his  laudable  undertakings  (none  other  you  ever  had)  to  sup- 
port his  family  and  extricate  himself  from  Embarrassment. 

Prays  fervently  Your  af¥ect  mother 

M.    DULANY. 

It  was  in  the  year  1800,  and  while  he  was  at  Annapolis, 
that  my  grandfather  came  to  his  final  decision  to  free  his 
slaves;  but  even  when  he  had  come  to  see  that  to  be  a  duty, 
it  was  by  no  means  the  simple  duty  that  it  has  appeared  to 
those  who  have  not  considered  the  subject  in  all  its  bearings. 
Here  were  a  number  of  helpless  and  dependent  beings  to  be 
thrown  on  their  own  resources.  So  far  as  their  individual 
well-being  was  concerned  there  could  be  little  doubt  that 
they  were  happier  under  the  protection  of  a  benevolent  and 
conscientious  master  than  they  would  be  in  the  exercise  of  a 
freedom  for  which  they  were  unprepared.  Then,  too,  other 
masters  were  to  be  considered,  whose  servants  might  be  ren- 
dered restless  and  unhappy  by  seeing  their  neighbors  set  free 
while  they  remained  in  a  servitude  which  they  had  accepted 
till  now  as  inevitable.  These  masters  would  naturally  con- 
sider it  an  unneighborly  and  unjust  action  towards  the  com- 
munity to  release  from  all  control  a  set  of  idle  people  to 
disturb  the  peace  and  good  government  of  other  well  regu- 
lated plantations.  The  arguments  on  both  sides  were  many 
and  weighty.     My  grandfather  weighed  the  matter  well  be- 


dEl  'Xjtav  at  ilnnapofte.  125 

fore  acting-,  and  took  the  view  of  the  question  which  a  later 
generation  has  accepted  as  the  just  one.  He  made  up  his 
mind  to  set  his  servants  free,  but  only  as  they  arrived  at  a 
certain  age,  25  for  the  men  and  20  for  the  women.  It  is  a 
proof  that  he  considered  his  health  at  this  time  in  a  very  pre- 
carious state,  that  having  come  to  his  final  decision  during 
a  sleepless  night,  he  arose  from  his  bed  (as  I  have  heard) 
and  added  a  codicil  to  his  will,  so  securing  their  freedom 
that  no  vicissitude  of  illness  or  death  might  prevent  his  de- 
cision from  being  carried  out.  I  have  the  will  in  my  posses- 
sion, dated  1798  and  written  in  a  clerkly  hand.  The  codicil 
is  in  his  own  handwriting  (his  estate  then  appears  to  have 
been  valued  at  about  $200,000).  His  brother-in-law,  Mr. 
Ridout,  shared  his  sentiments,  and  he  also  freed  his  slaves 
and  sent  them,  I  think,  to  Liberia. 

My  uncle  William  writes :  "  I  am  sorry  to  be  obliged  to 
add  that  I  have  often  heard  ni}^  father  say  that  of  all  the  men 
whom  he  set  free  only  three  or  four  proved,  by  their  good 
living,  that  they  were  capable  of  freedom,  and  one  sold  him- 
self again  into  slavery.  Their  history  exemplifies  what  the 
history  of  the  world  has  often  taught  on  a  larger  scale,  that 
to  be  and  continue  free,  and  to  enjoy  its  blessings,  people 
must  deserve  freedom." 

"  Mr.  Addison,  with  his  mind  informed  by  experience  and 
the  observation  of  a  long  life,  has  remarked  to  the  writer, 
that  if  his  course  were  to  be  gone  over  again  he  would  pur- 
sue a  different  method  with  his  slaves.  If  they  could  not  be 
sent  to  Liberia,  he  would  not  wrong  them  with  liberty.  The 
women  whom  he  set  free  were  generally  as  unfortunate  as 
the  men."     (Only  one  of  them  all  survived  him,  I  believe: 


126  One  ^untreb  'X)eatr0  ilgo. 

old  "  Aunt  Rachel,"  who  had  been  a  pensioner  for  many 
years,  and  whom  at  his  father's  death  my  uncle,  Wm.  Meade, 
received  as  a  legacy  and  always  provided  .for.) 

Mr.  Ridout's  experience  was  equally  discouraging,  as  I 
have  heard  from  his  son.  Dr.  John  Ridout. 

As  Washington  City  was  so  near  the  scene  of  my  grand- 
father's labors,  and  so  much  of  his  ministry  was  associated 
with  it,  it  may  perhaps  be  well  just  to  glance  at  what  was 
taking  place  there. 

The  site  for  the  city  was  selected  by  Gen.  Washington  in 
the  year  1791,  and  the  first  session  of  Congress  there  held 
was  in  the  year  1800.  No  Episcopal  church  was  then 
erected,  but  services  were  conducted  at  the  Capitol  alter- 
nately by  Bishop  Claggett  and  a  Methodist  preacher  of  great 
eloquence,  a  Mr.  Lyell,  who  afterwards  returned  to  the 
Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  A.  was  also  holding  occasional  ser- 
vices at  Mr.  Balch's  church  in  Georgetown. 

The  country  at  this  time  was  threatened  with  a  war  with 
France,  and  the  people  were  much  divided  in  feeling.  A 
strong  party,  remembering  with  gratitude  the  aid  France 
had  given  us  in  our  late  struggle  for  liberty,  were  thoroughly 
in  sympathy  with  the  Republic,  while  others,  contemplating 
with  horror  the  scenes  which  had  been  enacted  during  the 
Reign  of  Terror,  agreed  in  the  decision  of  Gen.  Washington, 
"  that  the  Republican  rulers  of  France  could  claim  no  grati- 
tude for  services  rendered  us  by  the  Government  they  had 
overthrown." 

Among  the  French  officers  who  had  rendered  gallant  ser- 
vice under  Lafayette  and  Count  Rochambeau,  and  who  had 
charmed  the  hearts  of  our  fair  ladies  at  Newport  and  An- 


cH  'Sear  at  ilnna^^ofie.  127 

napolis,  were  some  who  had  graced  the  brilHant  court  of  the 
unfortunate  Marie  Antoinette.  Among  these  was  her  faith- 
ful friend  Count  de  Fersen.  They  all  belonged  to  that  class 
which  had  given  so  many  victims  to  the  blind  and  cruel  rage 
of  an  infuriated  populace  (by  whose  will  the  then  govern- 
ment of  France  held  its  power),  and  the  sympathy  of  their 
friends  in  this  country  was  naturally  with  them. 

The  Jay  Treaty  had  caused  great  offense,  and  war  with 
France  seemed  impending.  That  government  had  refused 
to  receive  our  ambassadors,  though  a  hint  was  thrown  out 
that  a  subsidy  from  the  United  States  might  induce  them  to 
entertain  a  more  favorable  sentiment.  This  it  was  which 
drew  from  Mr.  Pinckney,  one  of  our  ambassadors,  the  noble 
reply,  ''  Millions  for  defense,  but  not  one  sixpence  for 
tribute." 

The  following  letter  from  Mrs.  Dulany  shows  the  feeling" 
of  the  anti-French  party: 

Epping,  April,  1798. 
My  Dear  Betsy  : 

I  have  no  doubt  of  your  seeing  Mr.  Fitz  Hugh  on  his  way 
to  Virginia.  I  think  unless  he  has  a  mind  to  Dispute,  you 
will  find  him  quite  one  of  us. 

We  do  not  think  that  our  Commissioners  were  "  suppli- 
cating," but  that  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  show  every 
disposition  for  a  peace:  to  convince  our  rascally  French  fac- 
tion, that  the  fault  could  not  be  attributed  to  our  side,  that 
it  was  not  Obtained;  and  it  certainly  has  had  a  good  effect. 
The  disclosures  of  these  conferences  and  the  demands  on 
America,  have  opened  the  eyes  of  the  generality  of  people. 


128  ^ne  1^unl)re^  'X)ear0  cE^o. 

who  joyn  in  abusing  the  French,  as  cordially  as  you,  and  I 
could  do  and  seem  now  disposed  to  do  everything  to  defend 
themselves  from  them,  which  was  far  from  being  the  case 
before. 

I  was  a  little  afraid  at  first  that  the  Congress  was  too  So- 
licitous, and  w'd  have  given  up:  but  when  I  came  to  "No, 
No,  No;  not  a  sixpence,"  I  was  quite  delighted  with  what 
appeared  to  me  a  manly  conduct.  I  am  in  great  fear  for 
dear  old  England.  I  tremble  at  the  idea  of  her  Destruction 
or  even  Decline,  which  the  c — f — d  French  are  so  much  bent 
on.  They  seem  to  do  what  they  will.  Heaven  grant  them 
a  speedy  Reverse. 

I  am,  with  dear  love, 

M.   DULANY. 

Kitty  joyns  in  Love. 

"  There  was  a  lay  Methodist  meeting-house  belonging  to 
the  colored  people  in  that  neighborhood  over  whom  Mr.  A. 
had  much  influence,  and  for  whom  he  sometimes  officiated. 
Dr.  Balch  also  used  sometimes  to  visit  this  humble  Temple 
and  distribute  sacred  truths  to  the  illiterate  congregation 
that  assembled  there  to  hear  the  Word  of  Life. 

"  In  1800  Mr.  A.  resolved  to  take  a  step  towards  the  erec- 
tion of  a  more  suitable  building  than  the  log  house  just 
spoken  of.  He  made  the  congregation  a  present  of  a  lot  of 
ground  to  build  a  convenient  edifice.  No  one,  however, 
prosecuted  the  plan,  and  the  lot  was  allowed  to  remain  un- 
improved. In  1816,  when  Mr.  A.  was  living  in  George- 
Town,  he  resolved  to  erect  the  church  for  them.  He  carried 
the  deed  which  granted  the  land  to  the  Methodist  Church  in 


Jl  ^tav  at  ilnna|>ofi0.  129 

one  hand,  and  a  subscription  list  in  the  other.  With  them 
he  succeeded  in  raising  six  or  seven  hundred  dollars  in  cash. 
He  gave  the  wood  to  burn  the  brick.  The  cartmen  sub- 
scribed labor;  the  mechanics,  labor  also.  In  a  short  time 
an  excellent  brick  meeting-house  was  completed  and  now 
stands  an  ornament  and  a  blessing  to  the  neighborhood.  It 
lays  no  claim  to  architectural  elegance,  but  nevertheless  it 
adorns  the  fair  and  lovely  landscape  of  which  it  forms  part: 
for  blind  to  the  beautiful  must  he  be  who  sees  nothing  to 
admire  in  the  simplest  monument  that  speaks  of  God,  or  in 
the  rudest  edifice  that  intimates  man's  consciousness  of  a 
Hereafter.  Broad  Creek  Church  was  a  great  distance  from 
Oxon  Hill,  and  but  for  this  meeting-house  the  people  in  that 
neighborhood  would  rarely  have  entered  the  Church  of  God. 
A  spirit  of  indifference  to  eternal  things  was  painfully  appar- 
ent. To  the  erection  of  this  place  of  public  worship  Mr.  A. 
•attributed  in  a  great  measure  the  preservation  of  a  Christian 
spirit  in  that  community." 

"  About  twenty  years  after  this  St.  Barnabas  was  built 
through  the  zeal  of  Christians  kept  alive  as  Mr.  A.  believes 
by  the  religious  services  held  in  that  meeting-house.  Thus 
the  good  done  to  another  Christian  sect  was  blessed  to  the 
increase  of  our  own.  While  Mr.  A.  was  engaged  in  build- 
ing this  meeting-house  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wilmer,  of  Alexandria, 
waited  on  him  and  remonstrated  against  the  aid  he  was  lend- 
ing the  Methodists,  telling  him  that  the  '  fires  on  his  own 
altars  were  expiring  while  he  was  fanning  into  a  flame  those 
that  were  kindled  on  another's.'  He  only  replied  that  the 
service  he  rendered  the  Methodists  he  knew  would  redound 
to  the  benefit  of  his  own  Church;  that  we  would  sometimes 


130  iOnt  ^un^rcb  'J)car5  dRgo. 

fall  asleep  if  the  ^lethodists  were  not  by  our  side  to  stir  us 
up  to  activity.  He  added :  '  I  believe  that  the  ^lethodists 
have  rendered  the  Episcopal  Church  the  most  essential  ser- 
vice, and  that  to  them  under  Providence  we  are  indebted  for 
the  zeal  and  piety  that  now  belong  to  it.' " 

Among  my  old  papers  I  find  this  very  subscription  list, 
written  in  my  grandfather's  own  hand  and  signed  by  many 
of  his  friends  and  members  of  his  congregation  in  George- 
town. 


V- ,•'"•'>>■:>, 


CHAPTER  XL 

Rector  of  Broad  Creek. 

HE  oldest  parish  record  spoken  of  is  Piscataway  or 
Broad  Creek  Parish,  called  St.  John's  P.  G.,  con- 
tiguous to  the  Potomack,  and  Piscataway  creek, 
dated  Jan.  30,  1693.  It  contains  the  name  of  John 
Addison,  Privy  Councillor.  His  grandson  Henry  was  Rec- 
tor of  St.  Johns  for  thirty  years."^  He  was  educated  at  Ox- 
ford, and  in  the  corner  of  a  quaint  old  portrait  of  him,  in 
possession  of  the  family,  is  a  scroll  containing  the  picture  of 
his  college.  He  took  refuge  in  England  during  the  war,  but 
at  its  close  returned  to  this  country  and  resided  on  his  estate 
until  his  death  in  1789.  His  Parish  would  have  no  other 
pastor  during  his  life.  A  later  descendant,  Walter  Dulany 
Addison,  became  Rector  in  i8oi."t 

The  traditions  of  the  neighborhood  tell  us  that  General 
Washington  used  occasionally  to  worship  in  this  old  church 
(which  is  nearly  opposite  Mt.  Vernon),  coming  across  the 
river  in  his  eight-oared  barge  with  his  family,  and  that  after 
service  he  might  be  seen  taking  snuff  with  the  parson  in  the 
churchyard,  or  discussing  the  crops  or  the  profits  of  the 
seine  with  the  farmers. 

*The  old  Bible  and  Prayer  Book  used  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Addison  in 
this  church  are  still  preserved  in  the  family.  In  them  is  written  "  Pre- 
sented to  me  by  the  honoured  Lady,  my  mother." 

t  Sermon  by  Rev.  Mr.  Stanley. 


132  (Ont  ]^\iiixUc^  ^tavQ  dtlgo. 

A  writer  in  the  Washington  "  News  "  thus  describes  the 
old  parsonage:  "A  large,  plain  brick  house  of  the  colonial 
period,  with  a  fine  broad  hall  and  a  wide  stairway,  with  gal- 
leries above.  It  must  have  been  an  elegant  home  a  century 
ago,  and  the  brick  walls  are  still  as  sound  as  when  first  built, 
but  the  interior  has  been  abused;  the  panelling  and  the 
laboriously  hand-cut  scrolls  decorating  the  walls  are  badly 
broken,  but  these,  with  the  arched  cupboards  in  the  dining- 
room,  and  the  folding  inside  shutters  in  the  deep  recessed 
windows,  show  that  the  place  was  expensively  built."  This 
rectory  was  occupied  by  Mr.  Messenger,  but  neither  my 
grandfather  nor  his  uncle  Henry  ever  lived  there.  The 
ground  around  it  is  low  and  marshy,  and  the  proximity  of 
the  creek  renders  it  malarious,  and  I  believe  the  old  rectory 
has  long  been  deserted. 

When,  at  Mr.  Messenger's  death,  my  grandfather  was 
made  Rector  of  Broad  Creek  Parish,  "  it  contained,"  writes 
my  uncle,  "  three  churches :  Addison's  Chapel,  near  Bladens- 
burg,  which  was  built  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Addison;  Broad 
Creek,  and  Akokeek.  Here  he  continued  until  1809,  giving 
to  his  temporal  concerns  so  much  of  his  time  only  as  duty 
to  his  family  required.  Had  he  striven  with  the  same  as- 
siduity to  improve  the  broad  acres  of  his  inheritance  that  he 
bestowed  on  the  vineyard  of  his  Master  he  would  have  had 
an  overflowing  abundance  of  temporal  riches.  His  ardent 
aspirations,  however,  looked  far  beyond  the  things  of  time, 
nor  would  he  ever  suffer  these  to  come  in  conflict  with  the 
things  of  eternity.  Owing  to  his  own  perfect  honesty  and 
directness  of  purpose,  my  father  was  unsuspicious  of  others, 
and  was,  moreover,  full  of  that  '  charity  that  thinketh  no 


(Rec(or  of  (gvoa^  ^vuL  i33 

evil.'     He   was   consequently   the   victim    of   many   imposi- 
tions." 

That  my  grandfather's  "  broad  acres "  were  very  badly 
managed  indeed,  I  have  no  doubt,  from  the  traditions  which 
were  still  circulated  when  I  was  young.  He  was  not  a  man 
who  had  much  respect  for  established  precedents,  and  there- 
fore probably  made  many  disastrous  experiments,  and  his 
blunders  were  often  exaggerated.  The  emancipation  of  his 
slaves  was  an  unpopular  measure,  and  his  own  farming  op- 
erations were  sensibly  embarrassed  by  it;  gradually  the  able- 
bodied  and  efificient  workers  were  withdrawn,  leaving  the 
estate  encumbered  with  the  old  and  helpless  and  the  very 
young.  His  neighbors  were  inclined,  perhaps,  to  a  little 
sharp  criticism;  it  was  not  generally  ill-natured,  however, 
and  nothing  could  be  a  greater  proof  of  the  respect  and 
afifection  in  which  he  was  really  held  than  his  appointment 
as  Rector  to  his  own  vacant  parish.  One  of  these  stories  to 
which  I  have  alluded  is  a  type  of  the  rest.  During  a  certain 
inclement  spring  he  had  ordered  his  sheep  to  be  sheared  in 
a  mild  spell,  but  very  cold  weather  ensuing,  he  was  so 
touched  by  their  wretched  appearance,  deprived  of  their 
warm  coats,  that  he  sent  to  Alexandria  for  a  bale  of  cloth 
and  had  them  blanketed.  To  make  the  story  more  pictur- 
esque, they  were  said  to  have  been  dressed  off  in  "  red  flan- 
nel," and  that  the  sheep,  panic-stricken  at  beholding  them- 
selves in  this  strange  attire,  fled  in  terror  from  one  another 
and  could  by  no  means  be  brought  together  again.  My 
uncle  always  indignantly  protested  against  the  truth  of  this 
story;  still  it  showed  that  his  methods  were  not  held  in  re- 
spect by  the  farmers,  and  from  the  results  perhaps  they  had 


134  One  ^un^re^  'peare  ilgo. 

reason  for  their  opinion.  Though  very  gentle  in  his  man- 
ner, he  was  not  a  man  to  be  readily  advised,  but  was  in  the 
habit  of  thinking  for  himself  on  all  subjects.  I  notice  in  my 
great-grandmother  Hesselius'  letters  little  expressions  which 
show  her  solicitude  about  his  worldly  concerns,  and  yet  her 
reluctance  to  interfere  with  her  advice,  which  is  the  more 
remarkable,  as  with  all  her  children  she  was  consulted  as  an 
oracle.  Between  herself  and  my  grandfather  there  had  from 
their  earliest  acquaintance  existed  the  closest  friendship;  yet 
there  was  evidently  a  point  beyond  w^hich  she  did  not  ven- 
ture to  intrude,  though  she  was  a  member  of  his  family  from 
1803  till  her  daughter's  death  in  1808. 

Bishop  Meade  says  of  him,  that  though  the  meekest  of 
men,  he  was  very  bold  in  rebuking  vice,  and  on  several  oc- 
casions his  fearlessness  subjected  him  to  personal  danger. 
On  his  way  to  Broad  Creek  Church  one  Sunday  morning  he 
learned  that  a  negro  had  become  intoxicated  at  a  tavern,  and 
had  been  suffered  to  be  out  all  night,  though  the  weather 
was  severe,  in  consequence  of  which  exposure  he  either  died 
or  was  very  near  dying.  Indignant  that  such  an  outrage 
should  have  been  committed  within  his  parish,  before  he  en- 
tered the  pulpit  he  denounced  the  transaction  as  "  un-Chris- 
tian  and  inhuman."  The  publican  was  in  church  at  the 
time,  and  was  so  incensed  that  he  declared  he  would  flog 
Mr.  Addison  the  first  time  he  met  him.  Hearing  soon  after 
of  the  threat,  Mr.  Addison  mounted  his  horse,  rode  to  the 
man's  house  and  inquired  of  him  if  his  information  was  cor- 
rect. He  was  told  that  it  was  and  that  he  richly  deserved  a 
chastisement,  that  he  had  unnecessarily  wounded  his  feel- 
ings, and  that  he  should  have  spoken  to  him  in  private.     Mr. 


(Kec(or  of  (groal  CxuL  i35 

Addison  then  readily  acknowledged  that  he  had  been  inju- 
dicious in  the  selection  of  the  occasion  for  his  reproof,  but 
could  not  agree  with  him  that  he  did  not  deserve  just  such  a 
verbal  castigation  as  he  got.  The  tavern-keeper  did  not  at- 
tempt to  carry  out  his  threat,  and  shortly  after  his  place  was 
broken  up.  On  another  occasion  he  was  perhaps  in  still 
greater  jeopardy.  "  He  was  crossing  the  river,"  writes  my 
uncle,  "  by  the  Oxon  Hill  ferry,  when  a  storm  arose  which 
threatened  the  safety  of  the  boat.  One  of  the  passengers  was 
swearing  in  the  most  shocking  manner.  My  father  took 
occasion  to  rebuke  him,  telling  him  his  conduct  was  sinful 
and  blasphemous,  especially  at  such  a  time.  The  reprobate 
turned  fiercely  around  and  threatened  to  throw  him  over- 
board ;  indeed,  he  made  an  effort  to  do  so,  but  was  prevented 
from  executing  his  purpose,  and  before  the  boat  reached  the 
shore  his  temper  had  calmed.  Some  three  weeks  after  my 
father  was  sent  for  to  visit  in  his  ministerial  character  a  per- 
son who  was  lying  at  the  point  of  death.  When  he  ap- 
proached the  sick  bed,  he  recognized  the  passenger  over  the 
ferry  who  three  weeks  before  had  been  insulting  his  Maker 
by  his  blasphemy.  He  was  sadly  changed ;  he  was  skulking 
from  death,  and  overwhelmed  with  dismay  at  the  thought  of 
that  future  into  which  he  supposed  he  was  just  entering,  and 
of  which  in  the  days  of  vigorous  health  he  had  been  unmind- 
ful. My  father  prayed  by  his  side,  and  gave  him  such  advice 
as  he  considered  his  case  required.  He  recovered,  and  be- 
came a  converted  man,  and  ever  after  was  a  consistent  Chris- 
tian, and  never  ceased  to  be  grateful  to  him,  and  followed 
him  about  from  place  to  place  to  hear  him  preach.  Many 
years  after,  when  he  was  settled  in  Georgetown,  Mr.  Addison 


136  One  ^unUtt  '^eare  il^c. 

was  sent  for  by  his  family  from  a  long  distance  in  the  country 
to  perform  the  last  religious  offices  over  his  remains.  It  was 
Mr.  Addison's  habit,  whenever  an  occasion  offered,  to  say 
something  in  behalf  of  Christianity,  if  indeed  it  were  only  a 
word;  the  seed  might  fall  on  a  barren  soil,  or  on  a  rock,  yet 
even  there  some  crevice  might  be  found  where  the  word  of 
truth  might  take  root.  One  Sunday  morning  as  he  crossed 
the  ferry  to  Mr.  Davis'  church,  for  whom  he  was  to  preach,  he 
saw  on  the  wharf  a  gang  of  negroes  returning  with  their 
empty  baskets,  which  had  been  laden  with  fruit  and  vege- 
tables which  they  had  just  sold  in  the  city.  He  spoke  to 
them  earnestly  of  the  sin  of  Sabbath-breaking,  and  urged 
them  to  abandon  their  Sunday  traffic.  He  then  left  them 
and  pursued  his  way  to  church.  Twenty  or  more  years 
after  he  went  to  preach  at  Addison's  Chapel ;  it  was  his  prac- 
tice to  converse  on  religious  subjects  with  any  one  whom  he 
saw  lingering  in  or  near  the  church.  On  this  occasion  he 
observed  when  the  services  were  over  a  venerable  colored 
man  who  was  officiating  as  sexton.  He  approached  him 
and  entered  into  conversation  with  him.  To  his  great  de- 
light he  learnt  that  he  was  one  of  the  Sabbath-breakers 
whom  he  had  addressed  on  the  wharf  at  Alexandria,  and  that 
on  that  occasion  he  had  received  his  first  religious  impres- 
sions, he  from  that  time  forsook  his  Sunday  occupations  and 
became  a  truly  pious  man.  Indeed,  I  believe  he  never  al- 
lowed any  opportunity  of  doing  good  by  counsel  or  exhor- 
tation to  escape  him  unimproved.  The  utility  of  his  course 
in  this  respect  is  illustrated  in  the  case  of  Rev.  Thomas  — . 
Among  the  many  tenants  that  he  found  on  Oxon  Hill  was 
old  Si  — ,  who  occupied  a  small  tenement  to  which  was  at- 


(gectov  of  (g^voa^  CvuL  137 

tached  some  ten  or  twenty  acres  of  land.  The  rent  paid,  was 
the  services  of  Httle  Tom,  then  about  twelve  years  of  age,  in 
riding  occasionally  to  the  mill.  The  father  was  an  habitual 
drunkard  and  the  sons  also  were  vicious.  But  the  mother 
was  an  excellent  woman.  At  one  time  she  was  very  ill,  and 
Mr.  Addison  went  to  read  and  pray  with  her.  He  observed 
little  Tommy  creep  into  the  room  and  take  his  seat  by  the 
bedside.  When  he  left,  the  little  fellow  followed  him  to  the 
bars  and  let  him  through.  Struck  with  the  boy's  gentle 
manner,  he  took  from  his  pocket  a  scrap  of  paper,  on  which 
he  wrote:  "If  sinners  entice  thee,  consent  thou  not;  walk 
not  in  the  way  with  them;  turn  your  feet  from  their  paths," 
and  handed  it  to  him.  It  was  a  delicate  way  of  warning  him 
from  the  influence  of  his  father,  brothers  and  sisters.  On  a 
Sabbath  morning  not  long  after,  while  on  his  way  to  Broad 
Creek  Church,  he  overtook  the  little  fellow  wending  his  way 
to  the  same  place,  and  entered  into  conversation  with  the 
child.  "  Do  you  know  how  to  read?"  "  No,  sir;  I  wish  to 
God  I  did."  "  Then  come  to  me  to-morrow,  and  I  will  send 
you  to  Mr.  McDaniel  and  have  you  taught."  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  he  accordingly  presented  himself  at  Oxon  Hill 
and  was  put  to  school,  where  he  remained  18  months,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  Mr.  Addison  attempted  to  bind  him  out  as 
an  apprentice  to  learn  a  trade,  but  it  soon  became  apparent 
that  an  injury  received  in  one  of  his  arms  when  a  child  dis- 
qualified him  for  making  his  living  by  manual  labor.  Mr. 
Addison  had  now  begun  a  school  at  Oxon  Hill ;  he  proposed 
to  his  wife  that  they  should  take  the  boy  into  their  house 
and  place  him  on  a  footing  with  the  other  boys.  She  con- 
sented, and  he  was  accordingly  matriculated.     After  he  had 


138  (Dne  ^Mn^vtt  'Xjtave  il^o. 

made  sufficient  progress  to  take  charge  of  a  school,  Mr.  Ad- 
dison procured  him  a  situation  in  the  family  of  his  brother 
as  tutor  to  his  young  children.  Here  Bishop  Claggett  was 
a  frequent  visitor,  and  becoming  interested  in  him,  advised 
him  to  study  divinity,  offering  to  lend  him  books.  He 
gladly  came  into  the  good  Bishop's  views,  and  after  a  few 
years  of  study  was  ordained.  He  afterwards  married  a  lady 
of  wealth  and  beauty  on  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland. 

In  1839  ^^-  —  was  leading  Mr.  Addison  through  the 
streets  of  Baltimore,  when  he  delicately  testified  his  recol- 
lection of  the  incidents  of  his  early  life  by  the  remark:  "  Ah, 
Mr.  Addison,  you  led  me  when  I  was  blinder  than  you  are," 
at  the  same  time  he  recalled  to  Mr.  Addison  the  incident  of 
the  scrap  of  paper  at  the  bars.  Mr.  —  also  insisted  on 
returning  to  Mr.  Addison  the  money  which  his  schooling 
and  clothing,  etc.,  cost. 

The  tragical  death  of  his  uncle,  Lloyd  Dulany,  at  the 
hands  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Allen,  in  his  early  youth,  had  made  a 
strong  and  ineffaceable  impression  of  horror  on  my  grand- 
father's mind.  This  cruel  and  barbarous  custom  of  duelling 
was  then  justified  by  public  opinion,  and  duels  were  by  no 
means  of  infrequent  occurrence.  It  was  about  this  time,  I 
think,  that  the  celebrated  duel  between  Aaron  Burr  and 
Alexander  Hamilton  occurred,  which  deprived  our  country 
of  one  of  her  greatest  men  and  made  of  another  an  outcast 
and  a  conspirator.  The  horror  which  this  event  occasioned 
was  very  great,  but  it  did  not  prevent  the  recurrence  of  simi- 
lar tragedies,  and  the  un-Christian  usage  was  not"  con- 
demned by  men,  in  other  respects  of  high  Christian  prin- 
ciples; on  the  contrary,  a  man  who  hesitated  at  the  alterna- 


(gectot:  of  (gvoat>  ^vuL  i39 

tive  of  imbruing  his  hands  in  the  blood  of  another,  or  of 
sacrificing  his  own  life  for  an  offensive  word,  was  esteemed 
a  coward,  and  lost  caste  with  honorable  men.  Few  men  had 
the  courage  to  incur  such  a  penalty,  and  some  of  the  noblest 
spirits  of  the  country  fell  at  the  hands  of  men  who  would 
have  given  anything  they  possessed  to  avoid  the  encounter 
to  which  they  were  constrained  by  the  inexorable  "  code  of 
honor."  One  of  the  saddest  of  these  cases  was  the  duel  of 
Mr.  Tack  McCarty  with  Mr.  Mason.  Mr.  McCarty  had 
gone  to  the  limit  permitted  by  this  savage  code  to  avoid  the 
conflict.  The  choice  was  with  him,  and  he  had  even  pro- 
posed that  they  should  take  hold  of  hands  and  jump  from 
the  top  of  the  Capitol  together;  but  Mr.  Mason's  seconds 
insisted  on  the  quarrel  being  carried  out  in  the  usual  man- 
ner to  the  bitter  end.  Mr.  Mason  was  killed,  leaving  a 
lovely  wife  to  mourn  for  him  through  a  desolated  life. 
Mr.  McCarty's  fate  was  even  sadder;  he  never  recovered 
from  the  remorse  with  which  the  terrible  event  filled  him, 
but  was  all  his  life  haunted  by  this  dreadful  memory. 

To  my  grandfather  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  all  this  was 
simply  not  to  be  borne,  and  he  exerted  himself  so  actively 
against  it  that  Bishop  Meade  says  "  his  opposition  to  duel- 
ling and  the  means  he  adopted  to  prevent  it  made  him  for  a 
number  of  years  very  notorious  among  the  members  of  our 
American  Congress.  While  pastor  of  St.  John's  Church, 
Georgetown,  he  had  frequent  opportunities  of  exerting  him- 
self for  the  prevention  of  duels.  He  has  often  detailed  to 
me  the  circumstances  attending  these  efforts;  his  interview 
with  Mr.  Jefferson,  when  he  had  reason  to  think  one  of  the 
parties  was  in  the  President's  house;  his  pursuit  of  them  on 


HO  '  One  ^un^tre^  "Peare  ilgo. 

horseback,  and  overtaking  them  just  as  the  seconds  were 
measuring  the  ground;  their  threatening  to  tie  him  to  a  tree 
in  ArHngton  forest; — these  and  such  Hke  things  I  have  heard 
from  his  truthful  Hps."  My  uncle,  Dr.  Addison,  gives  a 
fuller  account  of  two  of  these  affairs: 

"  It  was  a  source  of  never-failing  pleasure  to  your  grand- 
father to  recount  his  happy  success  in  once  preventing  a 
duel  between  two  gentlemen  of  his  acquaintance.  The  par- 
ties were  Samuel  Carr  and  Philip  Baker;  the  former  was  the 
son  of  my  father's  aunt,  and  both  gentlemen  were  near  neigh- 
bors and  his  parishioners.  Mr.  Carr  was  also  nephew  to 
]\Ir.  Jefferson.  It  was  in  the  year  1801,  when  Mr.  Jefferson 
had  just  taken  the  presidential  chair,  and  Mr.  Baker  had 
written  several  newspaper  artides  of  great  severity  against 
the  President;  it  was  noised  abroad  that  a  challenge  would 
probably  pass.  This  came  to  my  father's  knowledge,  and 
he  determined  to  prevent  it  if  possible.  On  one  of  his 
visits  to  Washington  he  was  struck  with  a  very  singular 
saddle-cloth,  made  of  leopard's  skin,  which,  on  inquiry,  he 
was  informed  belonged  to  the  President.  Some  time  after, 
and  while  the  duel  between  Messrs.  Carr  and  Baker  was  the 
subject  of  conversation  in  the  neighborhood,  he  observed  a 
gentleman  on  horseback  near  Oxon  Hill  gate  with  this  ex- 
traordinary saddle-cloth.  It  immediately  occurred  to  him 
that  this  person  might  be  the  bearer  of  a  challenge  from  the 
President's  nephew.  He  was  not  wrong  in  his  conjecture. 
He  immediately  repaired  to  the  President's  house  in  search 
of  Mr.  Carr,  with  whom  he  had  an  interview  in  the  presence 
of  Mr.  Lewis,  Jefferson's  private  secretary.  He  urged  every 
argument  in  his  power  to  dissuade  him  from  his  mad  and 


(Hector  of  (§voat>  ^recft.  Hi 

wicked  design,  and  enforced  them  with  his  most  earnest 
entreaties,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  He  left  them  and  went  in 
search  of  a  constable;  one  was  found  with  some  difficulty, 
but  he  had  retired  to  rest  and  refused  to  turn  out.  Finding 
his  arguments  unavailing,  he  offered  him  $io  if  he  would 
arrest  them  before  they  mounted  in  the  morning.  The  man 
consented,  but  next  morning  informed  Mr.  Addison  that 
when  he  reached  the  President's  stables  they  had  started  and 
could  not  be  overtaken.  INIuch  discouraged  by  this  failure, 
he  then  adopted  what  he  thought  was  his  last  resort.  He 
addressed  a  note  to  Mr.  Jefferson,  in  which  he  informed 
him  of  his  nephew^'s  project  and  begged  him  to  interfere 
and  stop  the  duel.  This  note  he  bore  to  the  door  in  person. 
Before  he  had  left  the  yard  a  messenger  overtook  him  and 
requested  him  in  the  name  of  the  President  to  return. 

"Mr.  Jefferson  had  just  risen  from  his  bed;  he  requested 
Mr.  A.  to  be  seated  and  to  relate  the  circumstances  of  the 
affair  as  far  as  he  knew  them.  This  being  done,  he  par- 
ticularly inquired  how  he  (a  clergyman)  came  to  be  privy  to 
such  a  transaction.  He  replied:  'If  I  answer  you  in  the 
world's  language,  I  must  say  accidentally.  If  in  the  lan- 
guage of  truth.  Providentially.  At  all  events  be  assured 
that  I  received  my  information  neither  directly  nor  indirectly 
from  any  one  connected  with  the  transaction.' 

"  Mr.  Jefferson  then  observed  that  he  was  assured  Mr. 
Lewis  would  do  all  in  his  power  consistent  with  his  friend's 
honor,  to  arrange  this  unpleasant  collision  amicably.  '  At 
the  word  honor  I  was,'  said  Mr.  Addison,  '  chilled  with  hor- 
ror and  left  him  to  his  own  reflections.' 

"  In  a  desponding  mood  my  father  crossed  the  river  at 


142  One  '^un'^vt'b  '^eare  ilgo. 

Georgetown  on  his  way  home  by  the  Alexandria  road,  and 
who  should  he  meet  on  his  way  but  Mr.  Baker  and  his  sec- 
ond, Dr.  Ridgely,  riding  at  a  rapid  rate.  My  father  turned  his 
horse  and  was  soon  in  hot  pursuit.  '  Where  are  you  going, 
Mr.  Addison?'  asked  the  gentlemen.  'To  keep  you  com- 
pany,' was  the  reply.  With  that  they  put  spurs  to  their 
horses,  but  they  gained  nothing,  for  my  father  was  an  ac- 
complished horseman  and  was  well  mounted.  Turning  in 
their  saddles  and  seeing  that  your  grandfather  could  very 
well  pass  them  if  he  would,  they  made  some  threats  and 
demonstrations  that  they  would  tie  him  to  a  tree,  but  second 
thoughts,  which  are  often  best,  gave  impulse  to  their  heels 
instead  of  to  their  plan,  and  renewing  the  spur  they  pushed 
on,  my  father  close  behind. 

"  It  was  not  long  before  the  parties  came  to  a  halt,  and 
Carr,  with  his  second,  Mr.  Lewis,  was  seen  on  the  ground. 
This  latter  gentleman,  approached  your  grandfather,  rudely 
asked  him  what  he  wanted.  The  reply  was,  '  I  am  here  to 
prevent  murder,  sir,  if  I  can,'  and  he  expressed  the  hope  that 
the  point  of  honor  between  the  gentlemen  might  be  deferred 
to  the  arbitrament  of  gentlemen  of  standing,  to  determine 
who  w^as  the  aggressor,  and  what  redress  in  the  form  of 
apology  or  retraction  should  be  made  by  the  party  found  in 
the  wrong.  Mr.  Lewis  fiercely  replied  that  no  such  course 
should  be  pursued,  and  commanded  him  instantly  to  leave 
the  field  and  let  the  matter  rest  with  those  who  v/ere  con- 
cerned in  it. 

"As  this  order  was  not  immediately  complied  with,  Mr. 
Lewis  then  expressed  the  hope  that  Mr.  Addison  at  all 
events  would  not  mention  the  names  of  those  whom  he 
might    see    on    the    ground.       He    replied,    '  I    shall    see 


(Hector  of  Q0troa^  CvuL  i43 

nothing,    sir,    for    if    I    cannot    prevent    the    shedding    of 
blood  I  shall  not  stand  by  to  witness  it' 

"  Finding  he  could  do  nothing,  he  withdrew,  and  went  in 
search  of  a  magistrate,  whom  with  some  difficulty  he  found. 
He  was  a  lame  little  man,  and  he  took  him  on  his  own  horse, 
and  with  all  practical  speed  they  returned  to  the  field  of 
honor,  but  found  the  combatants  had  shifted  their  position. 
They  started  in  pursuit,  and  on  their  road  picked  up  a  re- 
cruit, a  tall,  raw-boned  man,  with  a  long  gun,  who  consented 
to  act  as  constable.     The  belligerents  were  at  last  found: 
they  had  entered  a  tavern  to  complete  their  new  arrange- 
ments.    The  magistrate  and  constable  followed  them  and 
made   several   arrests.     When   Mr.   Addison   made   his   ap- 
pearance a  storm  of  furious  invective  assailed  him.     They 
declared  they  '  believed  he  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  arrest.' 
This  he  could  not  deny  with  truth.     The  parties  were  all 
bound  over  to  keep  the  peace,  and  the  duel  for  the  time  was 
prevented.     It  was  believed  the  duel  was  abandoned,  and 
Mr.   Addison   returned   to   his   accustomed   pursuits,    from 
which  he  was  again  called  one  Sabbath  morning  as  he  was 
about  leaving  home  for  his  church,  by  a  letter  from  his 
mother,  informing  him  that  the  matter  was  still  unadjusted, 
and  if  he  would  prevent  the  duel  not  a  moment  was  to  be 
lost.     He  despatched  a  messenger  to  the  church  to  dismiss 
the  congregation,   and  proceeded   immediately  to   George- 
town, where  he  was  invested  with  authority  to  arrest  all  per- 
sons who  should  be  breaking  the  peace  or  'who  would  be 
likely  to  do  so,'  and  hearing  that  Mr.  Baker  was  at  his  step- 
father's in  Georgetown,  thither  he  repaired;  they  were  just 
going  to  supper;  he  joined  them,  and  after  supper  tapped 


144  One  ^unt>vzt>  ^tavQ  ilgo. 

Mr.  Baker  on  the  shoulder  and  imparted  to  him  the  starthng 
intelligence  that  he  was  his  prisoner  and  must  give  security 
to  keep  the  peace  to  the  amount  of  $5000  or  go  to  jail.  My 
father  used  to  recount  with  some  humor  the  consternation 
produced  by  this  measure.  The  incongruity  of  the  proceed- 
ings furnished  matter  of  amused  conversation  for  some  time ; 
but  the  duel  was  terminated  forever,  and  I  think  this  was  one 
of  the  happiest  days  of  my  father's  life."  Bishop  Meade 
gives  another  instance  of  the  same  sort:  "  At  the  time  of  the 
threatened  encounter  between  Mr.  John  Randolph  and  Mr. 
Eppes  he  was  fully  prepared  to  prevent  it,  and  if  necessary 
deposit  one  or  both  in  a  place  of  confinement.  Mr.  Ran- 
dolph was  then  an  attendant  at  his  church  at  Georgetown. 
Eleven  o'clock,  Sunday  morning,  was  selected  for  the  com- 
bat in  order  to  evade  Mr.  Addison's  vigilance,  as  it  was  sup- 
posed he  would  then  be  at  his  post  of  duty.  But  he  be- 
lieved his  post  of  duty  that  day  was  to  be  elsewhere,  and  he 
did  not  hesitate  about  disappointing  the  congregation.  For 
some  time  after  the  appointed  hour  he  was  posted  near  the 
hotel  where  Mr.  Randolph  boarded,  ready  to  arrest  him 
should  he  leave  the  house.  But  an  adjustment  of  the  diffi- 
culty took  place.  Mr.  Stanforth,  from  North  Carolina,  a 
steady  and  judicious  friend  of  Randolph,  was  engaged  in  the 
adjustment.  He  knew  where  Mr.  Addison  was  and  what  he 
was  prepared  to  do,  and  he  it  was  who  informed  him  that  he 
might  now  go  with  a  quiet  conscience  to  his  Sabbath  duties, 
as  the  difficulty  was  settled.  This  I  had  from  Mr.  Stan- 
forth. 

"  Mr.  Addison,"  continues  Bishop  Meade,  "  was  equally 
opposed  to  strife  in  the  Christian  Church.     Though  a  true 


(Reciotr  of  (gvoab  CvuL  145 

lover  of  our  own  Church  and  passionately  devoted  to  her 
services,  yet  he  was  no  bigot,  but  embraced  all  Christians  in 
the  arms  of  his  wide-extended  charity.  The  unchurching 
doctrine  he  utterly  rejected.  Just  before  I  lived  with  him, 
an  Episcopal  paper  was  commenced  in  the  North  which  took 
that  position.  He  either  subscribed  to  it,  or  it  was  sent  to 
him,  but  on  finding  that  it  declared  all  other  ministries 
invalid,  and  all  other  churches  out  of  the  covenant,  he  re- 
turned the  paper." 

During  his  ministry  at  ''  Broad  Creek,"  my  grandfather 
used  occasionally  to  preach  for  Bishop  Claggett  in  the  Hall 
of  Representatives.  We  have  a  very  curious  description  of 
the  impression  made  upon  a  stranger,  not  only  by  his  ser- 
mon, but  also  by  his  personal  appearance  on  one  of  these 
occasions,  Sunday,  5th  of  February,  1804.  The  old  news- 
paper which  contained  it,  "  The  Washington  Federalist "  of 
April  1 8th,  1804,  was  preserved  by  his  brother  John  and 
found  a  few  years  ago  at  Colebrook  among  his  papers  and 
given  to  my  uncle  as  a  curiosity  by  his  daughter,  Miss  Addi- 
son. 

My  grandfather  had  never  been  known  to  allude  to  the 
letter,  or  the  occasion  which  called  it  forth;  so  it  either  dis- 
pleased him  or  made  no  lasting  impression  on  his  mind — 
probably  the  latter. 

I  think  it  very  improbable  that  he  intended  anything  per- 
sonal to  the  President,  but  at  that  time  the  circulation  of 
infidel  books  and  the  increase  of  infidelity  in  our  countrv, 
among  the  higher  classes  especially,  was  causing  the  great- 
est anxiety  among  Christian  people.  The  President  was 
thought  to  have  himself  imbibed  infidel  opinions  while  in 


146  One  T^unlvt't  "Peare  il^o. 

France,  and  on  this  account  was  regarded  with  the  utmost 
jealousy  by  the  more  rehgious  part  of  the  community. 
Party  spirit,  too,  at  that  time  was  exceedingly  bitter,  and  it 
was  to  gratify  enemies  of  the  President,  no  doubt,  that  the 
letter  was  inserted;  but  it  must  speak  for  itself:  "The  fol- 
lowing is  an  extract  from  a  letter  from  a  gentleman  at  Wash- 
ington to  his  friend  at  Philadelphia,  giving  an  account  of  a 
sermon  preached  in  the  Hall  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives by  the  Rev.  W.  D.  Addison."  "  The  gentleman  who 
officiated  for  the  day  was  entirely  a  stranger  to  me.  He 
seemed  about  forty  years  of  age,  his  complexion  was  rather 
sallow,  and  in  his  countenance  care  appeared  to  have  been 
struggling  for  victory  with  cheerfulness.  You  did  not  dis- 
cover the  traits  of  weak  credulity.  His  was  the  aspect  of  great 
sensibility  and  benevolence,  athwart  which  the  knowledge  of 
the  world  had  thrown  a  few  shades  of  distrust;  but  these  were 
so  blended  and  intermingled  with  what  would  otherwise 
have  been  a  dazzling  irradiation,  that  a  mild  and  placid  light 
was  afforded  which  you  could  contemplate  wdth  infinite  sat- 
isfaction. Age  had  not  silvered  his  locks,  though  retirement 
and  meditation  had  faded  the  roses  on  his  cheek.  He  was 
not  attired  as  I  have  seen  many  a  clerical  coxcomb,  yet  as 
one  neither  regardless  of  decency,  nor  too  fastidiously  nice. 
"  The  congregation  had  been  drawn  together  without  any 
previous  notice,  but  as  it  was  a  fine  day,  the  house  was 
pretty  well  filled,  and,  as  chance  would  have  it,  the  President 
was  that  day  at  church.  He  selected  for  the  subject  of  his 
discourse  that  excellent  text  of  Scripture  which  enjoins  us  to 
abound  in  good  works.  He  traced  all  the  various  relations 
in  which  we  stand  to  one  another  and  the  corresponding 


(Rector  of  (gvoa^  CvtzL  i47 

duties  which  are  required  at  our  hand.  He  placed  the  vir- 
tue of  beneficence  before  us  in  every  possible  light.  It  con- 
sisted not  in  the  mere  giving  of  alms,  but  in  a  thousand 
charities  of  life,  which  any  one,  whatever  might  be  his  sta- 
tion, had  it  in  his  power  to  dispense.  There  was  a  negative 
virtue  of  this  kind  which  all  might  cultivate,  that  of  omitting 
to  injure  others  in  thought,  word  or  deed.  How  happy 
would  life  be,  where  the  tale  of  slander  could  not  circulate, 
where  anger  should  be  disarmed,  and  every  noxious  passion 
subdued.  But  when  he  came  to  speak  of  the  lively  and 
active  virtue  of  beneficence  and  trace  her  in  all  her  tender 
and  endearing  relations,  every  bosom  throbbed  with  delight. 
He  portrayed  affluence  shedding  her  comforts  and  blessings 
on  all  around,  in  colors  so  fascinating  that  I  sighed  for  the 
gold  of  Potosi  to  enjoy  such  exquisite  luxury,  but  he  soon 
taught  me  that  my  heart  was  designed  for  a  source  of  wealth 
more  inexhaustible  than  both  the  Indies — that  a  kind  look 
or  a  soothing  word  would  oft  surpass  in  value  the  miser's 
hoard,  and  the  ears  of  sensibility  were  sometimes  more  pre- 
cious than  the  finest  brilliants.  He  then  talked  of  the  force 
of  example,  and  told  us  of  the  benefits  which  would  flow 
from  virtuous  conduct  in  those  whose  station  held  them  up 
to  public  view  and  popular  imitation.  He  brought  to  my 
mind  the  beautiful  sentiment  of  Marmontel.  He  seemed  to 
say  to  our  President,  '  Oh  that  the  Sovereign,  the  fountain 
of  manners,  would  set,  as  he  ought  to  do,  the  fashion  of  the 
heart!'  He  described  to  us  the  ground  on  which  we  stood, 
and  conjured  us  modestly,  yet  earnestly,  not  only  to  be  cir- 
cumspect in  our  conduct,  but  endeavor  to  become  models 
for  piety  and  morality.     This  led  him  to  notice  the  profane 


148  ©ne  ^un^re^  't)eaf0  JEl^o. 

and  blasphemous  publications  which  had  been  so  indus- 
triously circulated*  through  our  country;  of  these  works 
and  their  authors  he  spoke  as  they  deserved.  To  the  intel- 
ligent, the  sensible  and  the  virtuous  they  were  harmless.  To 
a  much  more  numerous  class,  to  the  young,  the  uninformed, 
to  the  giddy  and  thoughtless,  the  dissipated  and  the  wicked 
they  were  a  deadly  poison  which  admitted  of  no  antidote. 
He  had  before  found  the  way  to  our  hearts  and  had  attuned 
our  affections  to  the  nicest  harmony.  Expressions  of  kind- 
ness and  harmony  beamed  from  every  face.  These  are  sen- 
sations which  the  bad  as  well  as  the  good  may  sometimes 
experience,  and  the  President  himself  seemed  to  be  partaking 
of  the  delightful  repast  But  when  the  subject  of  these  pub- 
lications was  introduced,  all  his  transports  were  dissolved. 
The  small  still  voice  within  his  breast  arraigned  itself  with 
that  of  the  preacher.  The  honest  heart  refusing  to  perform 
its  office  called  back  the  blood  from  his  cheek,  but  instantly 
drove  it  back  again.  Claudius  did  not  writhe  with  half  the 
torture  when  he  beheld  the  dramatic  presentation  of  the 
garden  scene  where  he  had  murdered  the  father  of  Hamlet. 

"  But  to  return  to  our  parson :  He  had  selected  this  topic 
for  the  conclusion  of  his  sermon,  and  such  strains  of  elo- 
quence were  never  heard  before.  Save  only  one,  all  hung 
enraptured  on  his  voice  and  scarce  breathed  while  he  spoke. 
When  he  ceased  from  speaking  the  audience  seemed  unwill- 
ing to  rise  from  their  seats,  and  each  appeared  desirous  of 
prolonging  this  feast  of  the  soul. 

"  A  whisper  of  curiosity  ran  around  the  house,  but  none 
could  tell  who  he  was.     Had  I  not  afterwards  been  otherwise 

*  Tom  Paine's  "Age  of  Reason,"  &c. 


(Rectov  of  (§voa^  Creeft.  149 

informed  I  should  almost  have  believed  that  an  angel  of 
light  had  descended  amongst  us.  His  name  is  Addison;  he 
lives  a  few  miles  below  this  place  on  the  shores  of  the  Po- 
tomac. For  some  time  past  he  has  been  assiduously  en- 
gaged in  the  education  of  his  own  children,  with  a  few  other 
pupils  whom  he  has  admitted  to  his  house  for  this  purpose. 
The  thronged  schools  of  the  ancient  philosophers  are  not  to 
be  compared  with  this,  for  here  all  the  moral  and  Christian 
virtues  will  be  taught,  and  practice  and  theory  go  hand  in 
hand,  for  I  understand  he  is  not  one  of  those  who  go  them- 
selves in  the  primrose  paths  of  dalliance,  while  they  point  out 
to  others  the  steep  and  thorny  road  to  virtue." 


CHAPTER  XII. 
Home  Life  at  Oxon   Hill. 

^ROM  my  uncle's  ''  Recollections "  I  have  collected 
several  sketches  of  the  home  life  at  Oxon  Hill.  The 
old  house*  is  still  standing  and  may  be  seen  from 
the  river,  or  even  from  the  railroad.  The  main 
building  is  unchanged,  though  it  has  been  divested  of  its 
wings.  These  were  an  almost  invariable  feature  in  old  Mary- 
land houses;  indeed,  were  demanded  by  the  mode  of  life  of 
that  day.  Sometimes  they  were  detached,  sometimes  con- 
nected with  the  main  building  by  a  sort  of  corridor.  One  of 
these  wings  was  generally  devoted  to  the  uses  of  the  gentle- 
man of  the  house.  Here  he  had  an  office,  in  which  his  busi- 
ness of  various  kinds  w^as  transacted  with  his  overseers,  ten- 
ants, etc.,  and  where  he  kept  his  guns,  fishing  tackle  and  such 
manly  appurtenances  as  might  not  be  considered  fit  to  adorn 
the  hall  or  drawing-room;  sometimes  prints  of  celebrated 
horses  ornamented  the  walls,  or  various  trophies  of  the 
chase.     It  was  for  the  master's  exclusive  and  individual  use. 

*  On  February  6th,  1895,  this  venerable  mansion  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  The  following  notice  appeared  in  the  Baltimore  Sun  of  February 
7th  :  "Alexandria,  Va.,  February  6th,  1895. — Another  one  of  Mary- 
land's historic  mansions  has  been  destroyed.  The  spacious  dwelling 
house  on  Oxon  Hill,  overlooking  the  Potomac,  opposite  Alexandria, 
caught  fire  last  night,  and  was  left  a  Avreck  by  the  flames  at  daybreak 


^ome  ^tfe  at  €>;con  ^tff.  151 

The  other  included  the  kitchen,  pantries  and  servants'  rooms, 
though  the  servants  most  generally  were  quartered  outside, 
with  perhaps  one  or  two  exceptions.  A  cupola  used  to  or- 
nament the  top  of  this  house  in  the  old  days,  where  it  was 
pleasant  to  sit  on  summer  evenings  and  watch  the  sun  set 
over  the  hills  back  of  Alexandria  (now  crowned  by  the 
Theological  Seminary),  with  the  broad  Potomac  flowing 
between.  The  view  is  still  very  fine,  for  the  hill  is  high,  ris- 
ing from  the  water's  edge  continuously  for  a  mile.  At  its 
foot  Broad  Creek  empties  into  the  Potomac,  and  one  can  see 
as  far  down  the  river  as  Mount  Vernon  when  the  weather  is 
clear.  The  city  of  Washington  terminates  the  view  on  the 
north.  Broad  Creek  in  old  times  was  bordered  by  malarious 
marshes,  which  rendered  this  beautiful  site  unhealthy  in  the 

this  morning.  This  mansion  has  long  been  one  of  the  landmarks  of  the 
neighborhood  of  Washington,  and,  with  Mount  Vernon,  Belvoir  and 
Carlisle  House,  made  up  the  noted  mansions  of  the  neighborhood  in 
colonial  days." 

An  Alexandria  paper  gives  a  more  detailed  account :  ''A  few  min- 
utes past  six  o'clock  this  morning  people  who  were  moving  about  had 
their  attention  attracted  to  a  light  which  proceeded  from  the  old  man- 
sion on  the  Maryland  hills,  just  opposite  this  city.  When  first  discov- 
ered a  small  spot  in  the  roof  only  was  burning,  but  it  quickly  spread, 
and  in  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes'  time  the  whole  eastern  heavens  were 
illuminated  by  the  conflagration — the  fire  raging  furiously,  the  flames 
leaping  high,  while  a  huge  volume  of  smoke  settled  over  the  adjoining 
hills.  Numbers  of  people  in  this  city  went  to  the  streets  facing  the 
river  to  look  at  the  fire,  which  continued  to  rage  for  several  hours. 
The  origin  of  the  fire  is  unknown  from  the  fact  that  ice  in  the  river 
rendered  it  impossible  to  communicate  with  the  opposite  shore. 
Nothing  now  remains  of  the  former  building  but  the  walls  and  the  four 
chimneys." 


152  One  ^un^ret)  "Peave  il^o. 

months  of  August  and  September.  Indeed,  my  grand- 
father's health  always  suffered  there.  The  society  in  the 
neighborhood  was  very  pleasant,  consisting  chiefly  of  rela- 
tions and  connections  of  the  family  to  whom  had  descended 
portions  of  Addison  Manor;  a  great  many  pleasant  people 
also  resided  in  Alexandria,  which  was  just  across  the  ferry. 
In  her  early  married  life  my  grandmother  greatly  enjoyed 
this  pleasant  circle.  She  delighted  to  fill  her  house  with  her 
young  friends  and  relatives,  and  my  grandfather  being  neces- 
sarily much  from  home  in  the  performance  of  his  pastoral 
duties,  was  rejoiced  to  indulge  her  in  her  hospitable  pro- 
clivities. Indeed,  they  were  both  lovers  of  hospitality;  but 
on  one  occasion,  as  the  story  goes,  she  had  invited  a  larger 
and  gayer  assembly  than  he  thought  entirely  consistent  with 
the  stand  he  had  taken  against  worldly  amusements,  and  it 
being  too  late  to  withdraw  the  invitations,  he  compromised 
matters  by  simply  absenting  himself  from  home  for  that  even- 
ing. Of  course  he  never  had  occasion  to  do  so  again.  But 
I  return  to  my  uncle's  manuscript: 

"  My  sister  was  born  at  Primrose,  but  I  was  born  at  Oxon 
Hill,  and  so  were  my  brother  Lloyd  and  a  brother  and  sister 
who  died  in  infancy.  I  remember  well  my  dear  mother's 
great  affliction  at  the  death  of  her  children.  She  wrote  some 
very  pretty  poetry  on  one  of  these  occasions,  which  I  will 
insert  here: 

Oh,  Edward,  I  have  lost  in  thee 

A  flower  that  ne'er  shall  bloom  again  ; 

Thy  father's  house  shall  no  more  see 
Beauty  like  thine  in  embryo  man. 


^ome  Bife  at  (D;con  ^iff.  153 

But  why  lament  the  lovely  boy  ? 

My  loss  is  more  than  gain  to  thee  ; 
Go  thou  to  everlasting  joy, 

To  all  that's  happy,  all  that's  free. 

Thy  little  heart  hath  ceased  to  beat, 

Thy  head,  now  cold,  shall  ache  no  more  ; 

Safe  art  thou  lodged  at  Jesus'  feet, 
On  Jordan's  mild,  delightful  shore. 

Oh  !   could  thy  mother  meet  thee  there, 

With  what  impatient  joy  she'd  leave 
This  earthly  tabernacle  here, 

And  fly  to  thee  with  joyful  speed. 

But  no,  my  sins  forbid  my  flight ; 

My  lamp,  still  dim,  must  brighter  burn  ; 
O  Lord,  increase  its  feeble  light. 

And  make  me  say  "  Thy  will  be  done." 

Elizabeth  Dulany  Addison. 


"  My  mother  had  me  taught  dancing  by  a  professor  of  that 
art,  who  came  over  the  river  from  Alexandria  to  teach  the 
children  in  the  neighborhood.  I  was  a  very  shy  child,  and 
I  don't  think  I  acquired  much  confidence  by  learning  to 
dance,  for  I  remember  two  ladies  visited  Oxon  Hill  one  day, 
and  my  mother  bid  me  go  to  speak  to  them.  When  en- 
treaties failed,  she  said :  '  Go,  my  son,  and  make  your  bow 
and  I  will  give  you  a  quarter.'  I  could  not  resist  the  bribe, 
but  my  heart  failed  me  at  the  threshold,  and  I  did  not  ad- 
vance many  inches  beyond.  My  mother  took  much  hiterest 
in  the  spiritual  as  well  as  intellectual  improvement  of  her 


154  One  TEfurxlvt^  'Xjeare  il^o. 

children;  she  would  have  me  drink  deep  at  the  fountain  of 
knowledge,  but  she  desired  that  I  should  also  cultivate  the 
graces.  I  remember  well  the  prayers  I  repeated  at  her  knee 
and  many  hymns  also  I  learned  at  her  bidding.  There  is 
one  I  often  remember  hearing  her  sing  with  my  father:  ""The 
Lord  my  pasture  shall  prepare.'  When  I  was  seven  years 
old  my  parents  took  my  sister  and  me  to  Bath  for  the  months 
of  August  and  September ;  my  grandmother  accompanied  us. 
Young  as  I  was,  I  enjoyed  it  exceedingly.  Our  mother 
kept  us  at  our  books  a  part  of  every  day,  and  in  the  evening 
my  father  would  take  me  with  him  to  walk,  sometimes  on 
the  mountains,  sometimes  in  the  vale.  My  first  Latin  gram- 
mar was  purchased  at  Hagerstown  on  our  road;  he  had  an 
Eton  grammar,  but  did  not  choose  it  should  be  thumbed  by 
me.  This  visit  seems  to  have  been  enjoyed  by  all  of  the  little 
party.  The  following  lines,  written  before  leaving  Bath  or 
Berkeley  Springs,  by  Mrs.  Mary  Hesselius,  give  a  pleasant 
impression  of  that  resort  as  it  was  a  hundred  years  ago : 

Ere  three  more  days  are  numbered  by  the  sun, 

Or  three  revolving  nights  their  circles  run, 

To  Bath,  with  all  its  charms,  I  bid  adieu, 

No  more,  perhaps,  these  pleasing  scenes  to  view. 

With  spirits  bland  we  form  the  cheerful  ring, 

And  drink,  well  pleased,  the  health-reviving  spring  ; 

Or,  underneath  piazzas,  view  the  scene 

Of  rocky  mountains  fringed  with  evergreen, 

Where  browsing  sheep  their  wonted  herbage  find. 

Or  court  the  shade,  on  nature's  couch  reclined. 

Oh,  how  shall  I  regret  the  morning  walk. 

The  social  visit  aiid  the  friendly  talk. 


^ome  Bift  at  O;con  ^iit  155 

On  rustic  seats  beneath  the  leafy  shade, 

For  pleasure  and  for  friendly  converse  made. 

No  more  these  streams,  that  through  the  valley  play. 

And  bright  reflect  the  face  of  cheerful  day, 

Shall  glad  my  sight  or  murmur  on  my  ear, 

And  steal  my  mind  from  thoughts  of  future  care. 

No  more,  collected  in  the  bath,  we'll  lave, 

And  gather  strength  from  the  salubrious  wave. 

All,  all  is  o'er  ;  but  memory,  the  pensive  hour  to  cheer, 

Reverting  oft,  shall  pay  her  visits  here. 

And  swift  imagination's  airy  wing 

Those  lost  enjoyments  to  my  mind  shall  bring. 

Enough  my  fancy,  nor  impute  to  these 

What  health  and  friendship  gave,  the  power  to  please — 

These  the  best  gifts  that  heaven  doth  bestow 

Of  all  its  blessings  in  this  world  of  woe, 

And  oh,  be  ever  praised,  the  Hand  divine, 

That  kindly  makes  these  greatest  blessings  mine. 

It  was  in  1807  that  Bishop  Meade  entered  Mr.  Addison's 
house  as  a  student  of  divinity,  and  thus  began  a  most  tender 
friendship,  which  lasted  until  death  divided  them.  It  was 
through  Mrs.  Custis,  a  cousin  of  young  Meade  and  a  warm 
personal  friend  of  Mr.  Addison,  that  this  arrangement  was 
brought  about.  In  after  years  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
meeting  for  a  yearly  visit  at  her  house  at  Arlington,  and 
these  visits  were  a  source  of  great  enjoyment  to  them  both. 
"  It  was,"  writes  Bishop  Meade,  "  while  reading  under  his 
direction  that  the  first  clear  and  satisfactory  view  of  the 
necessity  and  reasonableness  of  a  propitiation  for  sin  by  our 
blessed  Lord  was  presented  to  my  mind.  I  shall  never  for- 
get the  time  or  the  instrument,  or  the  happy  efifect,  and  how 


156  _        One  ^wn^ve^  "Peave  dEl^o. 

I  rose  up  again  and  again  from  my  bed  to  give  thanks  for 
it."  The  book  was  Soane  Jennings'  Internal  Evidences  of 
Christianity. 

Bishop  Meade  thus  describes  my  grandfather:  "Mr.  Ad- 
dison was  remarkable  for  extreme  mildness  and  simplicity, 
combined  with  extraordinary  decision,  when  principle  or 
duty  was  concerned.  In  the  ordinary  intercourse  of  life,  so 
gentle  and  compliant  that  one  might  imagine  a  child  could 
lead  him.  And  yet  when  occasion  demanded,  not  only  im- 
movably firm,  but  heroically  aggressive.  In  him  I  became 
acquainted  with  one  of  the  best  of  men.  He  lived  to  a  good 
old  age,  loving  all  men  and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him; 
to  the  last  the  happiest  and  most  grateful  of  all  the  happy 
and  grateful  ones  I  have  ever  seen  or  known.  Such  was  the 
man  of  God  with  whom  it  was  my  privilege  to  pass  some 
happy  and,  I  trust,  not  unprofitable  months." 

It  was  in  the  year  1808  that  Mr.  Addison  was  called  upon 
to  endure  a  heartrending  affliction  in  the  death  of  his  wife. 
My  uncle  gives  the  following  account  of  this  sad  event.  "  In 
the  year  1808  I  was  a  student  at  St.  John's  College,  An- 
napolis. In  July  of  that  year  I  received,  by  the  hands  of  a 
servant,  the  following  letter  from  my  dear  mother,  the  last 
she  ever  wrote: 

"  '  I  was  very  much  delighted,  my  dear  son,  at  the  beauti- 
ful letter  your  uncle  Ridout  brought  me.  You  are  ex- 
tremely improved  in  your  writing.  Your  request,  my  dear, 
to  have  your  letter  answered  by  Post  could  not  be  compHed 
with,  as  it  came  too  late.  With  respect  to  my  health,  I  can- 
not tell  you  exactly  how  I  am ;  the  Doctor  thinks  I  am  better 


j^ome  Btfe  at  Oron  T^i^t  157 

than  I  have  been  for  a  week  past,  but  my  strength  is  much 
decHncd  since  you  saw  me,  and  my  appearance  much  aUered. 
My  fever  however  is  abated.  You  must  not  make  your- 
self uneasy  on  my  account;  your  father  will  send  you  money, 
and  you  can  come  directly  the  vacation  commences,  in 
Thursday's  stage.  I  am  a  little  tired  with  writing.  I  am 
sure  you  will  excuse  a  longer  letter.  Papa  and  Grandmama 
desire  their  love.' 

"This  letter  was  not  sent  in  the  manner  intended.  My 
mother  became  suddenly  worse,  and  I  was  immediately 
summoned  by  a  servant,  leading  a  horse  for  me.  I  found 
her  indeed  greatly  changed,  and  I  could  not  refrain  from 
bursting  into  tears.  My  aunt  Murray  and  my  dear  grand- 
mama  were  with  her,  and  other  relatives  and  friends  were 
also  at  Hart  Park,  sharing  our  sorrows  and  mingling  their 
tears  with  ours.  Just  before  my  mother  died  she  sent  for 
my  grandmother,  who  had  retired  to  weep  alone.  On  her 
approaching,  my  mother  extended  her  hand,  and  taking 
hers,  said:  '  I  am  happy.'  At  that  moment  a  little  bird  flew 
in  and  circled  round  the  room,  my  mother  following  it  with 
her  eyes.  It  soon  flew  out  of  the  window,  and  as  it  did  so 
her  spirit  took  its  flight.  She  died  on  the  30th  of  July.  It 
was  a  melancholy  day  in  our  house;  every  part  of  it  was  filled 
with  mourners.  My  father  was  in  his  chamber  alone,  and 
sent  for  me.  His  heart  was  overflowing,  and  it  was  some 
time  before  he  could  give  utterance  to  what  he  would  say; 
but  he  grieved  as  the  Christian  grieves,  with  hope;  for  he 
looked  upon  death  as  only  a  brief  separation,  with  the  as- 
surance of  reunion,  where  happiness  would  be  perfect  in 
Heaven.     He  was  fortified,  but  I  was  weak,  and  he  poured 


158  One  '^xin^m  'Xjeare  il^o. 

into  my  stricken  heart  words  of  consolation.  I  loved  my 
mother  with  great  tenderness,  and  often  her  remembrance 
dimmed  my  eyes  when  years  and  years  had  passed  away. 

"After  my  mother's  death  Hart  Park  was  sadly  changed; 
my  grandmother,  with  my  sister,  removed  to  Baltimore. 
This  was  the  breaking  up  of  my  father's  establishment,  and 
in  the  following  March  he  moved  to  Georgetown  and  took 
charge  of  St.  John's  Church,  D.  C.  During  this  interval  his 
housekeeping  appears  to  have  received  from  him  very  little 
attention,  and  especially  was  he  indifferent  with  regard  to  his 
table,  which  the  servants  were  left  to  provide  for  as  they  saw 
fit.  One  day  Dr.  Balch  came  over  the  river  to  pay  him  a 
visit,  and  the  two  friends  remained  absorbed  in  conversation 
until  dinner  was  announced.  On  entering  the  dining-room 
my  grandfather  was  dismayed  at  beholding  a  very  sorry 
meal  set  out  for  their  entertainment;  but  quickly  recovering 
from  the  shock,  he  said :  '  Well,  Balch,  we  have  here  a  very 
poor  dinner,  it  must  be  confessed;  but  it  is  good  enough  for 
a  Christian,  and  too  good  for  those  that  are  not.'  The  din- 
ner passed  ofif  in  pleasant  conversation,  but  the  next  time 
Dr.  Balch  came  he  did  not  propose  to  dine  there.  When 
pressed  to  do  so,  he  said:  '  No,  I  thank  you,  Addison;  not  if 
it  is  one  of  your  Christian  dinners.'  " 

Although  Oxon  Hill  was  afterwards  sold,  the  graveyard 
remained  in  my  grandfather's  possession,  and  he  continued 
always  to  make  a  yearly  visit  there  (even  after  his  blindness 
made  a  guide  necessary),  until  in  1843  ^^^  removal  to  Balti- 
more rendered  it  impracticable. 

Among  the  very  few  papers  which  remain  in  his  own 
writing,  I  find  the  following: 


^ome  Bife  at  <Oxon  T^Ht  i59 

To  the  Memory  of  Elizabeth  Dulany  Addison, 

Wife  of  Walter  U.  Addison, 

Who  died  July  31st,  1808,  aged  33  years. 


"  A  beam  of  Truth  from  Eternal  Brightness  flowed, 

Played  o'er  her  breast,  and  checked  each  rising  fear; 
With  pious  Faith,  to  Heaven's  decree  she  bowed, 

And  viewed  the  awful  bourne  without  a  tear. 
Her  soul,  enlightened  by  a  Saviour's  grace, 
Lived  but  to  die,  and  dying  lived  to  Peace." 


Taken  down  when  I  visited  her  tomb,  April  30th,  181 5. 

W.  D.  Addison. 

His   dying  request,   thirty-three   years   after,   was   to   be 
buried  by  her  side. 


{pMt  \u 


THE  REV.  WALTER  DULANY  ADDISON. 
From  a  portrait  by  King. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Ministry  in  Georgetown. 
1809-1817. 

T  was  in  the  year  1809,"  writes  my  uncle,  '"  that  my 
father  accepted  the  call  to  St.  John's  and  removed 
ll  with  his  two  younger  sons  to  Georgetown,  where 
^  he  resided  for  some  years  with  his  brother  John. 
Most  of  his  '  boys '  followed  him,  and  he  continued  his 
school  there  successfully  for  several  years,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  he  performed  faithfully  his  duties  as  pastor  of  St. 
John's." 

This  old  church  is  so  intimately  associated  with  my  grand- 
father's whole  ministerial  life  that  it  becomes  necessary  for 
me  to  dwell  for  a  few  moments  on  its  early  history.  We 
have  seen  that  in  1794  (only  a  year  after  his  ordination)  he 
became  interested  in  gathering  together  a  congregation  in 
Georgetown,  holding  afternoon  services  for  them  in  the 
Presbyterian  church,  which  was  kindly  loaned  him  for  that 
purpose  by  Dr.  Balch.  There  being  at  that  time  no  Episco- 
pal church  in  Washington,  and  this  city  having  now  become 
the  political  center  of  a  great  and  prosperous  nation,  he  was, 
from  the  first,  deeply  impressed  with  the  urgent  necessity  of 
establishing  a  church  here.  But  the  number  of  resident 
Episcopalians  was  small,  and  great  difficulties  arose  in  pro- 


i64  (^aUtv  ©ufanp  il^^teon. 

viding  the  necessan-  funds.  He  was  not,  however,  to  be  de- 
terred by  these,  but  undertook  at  once  this  labor  of  love  in 
addition  to  his  own  parochial  duties,  which,  owing  to  the  re- 
moteness of  his  parish  church,  were  at  this  time  not  light. 

The  fact  that  the  site  of  Washington  was  really  a  part  of 
the  parish  in  which  he  resided  and  of  which  he  was  after- 
wards Rector,  may  have  caused  him  to  feel  a  more  personal 
interest  in  the  matter;  but  at  all  events  the  establishing  of  a 
church  here  became  at  once  the  object  of  his  unwearied 
efforts. 

From  an  historical  account  of  St.  John's  Church,  George- 
town, by  the  Rev.  Dr.  C.  M.  Butler,  I  extract  the  following: 

"  The  first  service  conducted  by  an  Episcopal  clergyman 
in  Georgetown  was  held  by  the  Rev.  W.  D.  Addison  in 
1794.  This  gentleman  was  residing  at  the  time  in  Prince 
George's  county,  Md." 

Two  years  after  "  a  lot  was  given,  the  foundations  laid, 
and  the  building  carried  up  to  the.  first  range  of  windows. 
In  this  condition  it  remained  vmtil  the  year  1803.  During 
this  period  the  Rev.  Mr.  Addison  held  occasional  services  in 
this  place,  though  with  little  encouragement  to  his  hopes  of 
completing  the  building." 

It  appears,  however,  that  neither  his  faith  nor  his  en- 
deavors failed,  and  in  1803  we  find  ''a  meeting  of  the  citi- 
zens of  Georgetown  was  held  at  Mr.  Lemme's  tavern  on 
Friday  the  28th  of  Jan.,  pursuant  to  a  notice  in  the  Washing- 
ton '  Federalist,'  to  take  measures  for  renewing  the  effort  to 
build  an  Episcopal  church."  A  year  after  it  was  sufficiently 
finished  to  admit  of  the  "vestry  advertising  for  a  Rector.  .  . 
They  were  visited  bv  the  Rev.  Mr.  Savrs  of  Port  Tobacco, 


(JUimetv^  in  (Beov^etorvn.  165 

who  was  elected  Rector."  "  He  was,"  continues  Dr.  Butler, 
"  well  qualified  for  usefulness  in  the  then  important  position 
which  he  occupied."  His  ministry  closed  with  his  life  in 
1809.  His  epitaph,  written  by  Mr.  F.  S.  Key,  may  be  seen 
inscribed  on  a  tablet  to  his  memory  in  the  church. 

With  the  exception  of  Christ  Church  at  the  Navy  Yard, 
some  miles  distant,  St.  John's  continued  for  some  years  the 
only  Episcopal  church  in  Washington. 

"  In  1809  Mr.  Addison  was  called  to  the  rectorship.  The 
memories  of  some  of  our  older  citizens  will  recall  how  the 
church  was  thronged  to  overflowing  with  all  that  was  most 
elevated  in  station  and  wealth  from  the  capital.  The  pews 
in  the  galleries  were  rented  at  high  rates,  and  to  persons  of 
great  respectability.  The  street  before  the  church  door  was 
filled  with  glittering  vehicles  and  liveried  servants."  The 
Rev.  Dr.  Lindsay  tells  us  who  some  of  these  "  vehicles " 
contained:  "We  learn,"  he  says,  "from  one  of  the  oldest 
inhabitants  that  the  congregation  was  a  very  distinguished 
one  at  this  period,  coming  from  far  and  near  in  two-horse 
and  four-horse  carriages.  Among  the  latter  were  the  car- 
riages of  Mrs.  Madison,  Mrs.  Calvert  from  Bladensburg, 
and  the  British  minister;  behind  the  last-named  were  two 
liveried  servants  with  drawn  swords.  Other  well-known 
names  are  found  in  the  list  of  the  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion at  that  time."  In  181 1  the  church  was  really  insufficient 
for  the  congregation.  It  became  necessary  to  enlarge  it, 
and  plans  were  drawn  with  that  view,  but  such  strenuous 
objections  were  made  by  some  of  the  pew-owners  that  the 
enterprise  had  to  be  laid  aside,  the  result  being  eventually 
that    another    congregation    was    organized,    and    "  Christ 


1 66  (JDafter  ^u^an^  ilt^teon. 

Church,"  Georgetown,  was  built  a  few  years  after,  and  the 
Rev.  R.  Keith  called  as  Rector.  The  fashionable  element, 
however,  soon  abandoned  the  Georgetown  churches.  A  new 
edifice  in  a  more  central  position  was  erected  in  1816,  and 
from  that  time  they  had  to  depend  on  the  residents  in  the 
vicinity  for  their  congregations.  After  this  I  imagine  both 
churches  were  feebly  supported,  as  w^e  find  in  1820  that  the 
Bishop  desires  to  reunite  them. 

My  uncle  continues:  "Soon  after  he  was  settled  at  St. 
John's  fin  1809  or  18 10)  he  had  occasion  to  preach  at  Rock 
Creek  Church  a  funeral  sermon.  The  Rector,  Mr.  Reed, 
had  recently  retired  from  the  ministry,  worn  out  by  years. 
The  church  was  in  so  dilapidated  a  state  that  he  was  com- 
pelled to  hold  the  services  under  the  trees  in  the  yard.  There 
never  had  been  a  floor  to  the  building.  This  had  very  much 
troubled  Mr.  Reed,  who  used  to  say  it  was  '  a  shame  not  to 
have  a  plank  floor,  as  the  dust  from  the  dirt  floor  was  very 
annoying  to  the  eyes!'  Mr.  Addison  immediately  set  about 
repairing  the  edifice;  he  managed  to  raise  by  subscription 
some  hundreds  of  dollars  and  to  inspire  the  congregation 
with  a  zeal  in  behalf  of  their  venerable  but  most  neglected 
place  of  worship.  The  church  in  a  short  time  became  de- 
cent and  comfortable.  '  Addison's  Chapel,'  situated  near 
Bladensburg,  an  antiquated  and  superannuated  building, 
next  engaged  his  attention.  From  three  persons  he  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  $550  and  smaller  sums  from  many 
others.  He  also  managed  to  interest  the  congregation  in 
the  project  of  building  on  the  site  of  the  frame  edifice,  a 
brick  church,  which  was  accomplished  between  the  years 
1812   and   1816." 


QUimettrp  in  (Beot^e^own.  167 

It  was  at  this  period  that  the  war  with  England  took  place, 
which  was  by  many  of  our  people  condemned  as  unnecessary 
and  uncalled  for.  I  find  three  old  letters  descriptive  of  these 
days,  which  are  interesting  as  giving  a  picture  of  the  time. 
The  first  is  from  Mrs.  Hesselius  to  her  grandson,  Dr.  E.  B. 
Addison,  then  a  student  of  medicine  at  Philadelphia: 

Woodstock,  Sept.  St/i,  18 14. 

Yours  of  last  month,  my  dear  Edmund  came  to  hand 
sometime  after  date.  It  was  on  that  day  the  fatal  battle  of 
Bladensburg  was  fought,  which  filled  the  State  with  conster- 
nation and  dismay,  and  this  family  with  the  utmost  horror 
and  dread.  We  were  within  sound  of  the  guns,  and  know- 
ing that  our  dear  and  near  relations  were  engaged,  you  can 
better  imagine  than  I  can  describe  our  feelings.  The  first 
acct.  we  received  was  that  William  Murray  was  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner.  He  received  a  ball  which  went  through 
his  right  ankle,  yet  fought  on:  another  went  through  a  little 
above  his  right  hip,  but  still  he  kept  his  place,  until  his  left 
leg  was  shattered  by  another  ball.  He  lay  from  Wednesday 
noon  until  Friday  morning  without  surgical  aid,  for  there 
was  none  provided  by  the  officers.  When  the  wounds  were 
examined,  it  was  found  necessary  to  remove  him  to  Balti- 
more, to  be  under  the  immediate  attention  of  surgical  skill, 
as  the  ball  and  pieces  of  shattered  bones  must  be  extracted. 
The  wound  has  assumed  a  healthy  appearance,  he  has  no 
fever  and  is  in  excellent  spirits,  which  have  never  forsaken 
him.  Thus  you  see,  my  dear,  the  dark  cloud  is  brightened 
by  the  rays  of  Divine  Mercy.  He  is  in  an  elegant  room  at 
Mrs.  B.  Williams'  and  has  everything  that  Friendship  and 
Art  can  do  for  him. 


i68  (P^after  ^xihn^  ilb^ieon, 

Baltimore  has  been  in  constant  expectation  of  an  Attack 
ever  since.  They  have  fortified  the  Town,  and  the  fortifica- 
tions go  so  near  Green  Wood,  it  is  feared  the  house  will  be 
in  danger  should  there  be  an  engagement.  They  keep 
10,000  men  in  the  City  and  20,000  more  at  some  distance. 
We  were  no  way  prepared  for  War.  The  battle  mentioned 
before,  was  intended  to  keep  the  British  from  executing  their 
purpose  of  destroying  the  Capitol  and  Palace,  but  they 
effected  it  with  ease.  The  Secretary  of  War  had  made  not 
the  least  defense,  and  Ft.  Warburton,  which  had  cost  the 
State  immense  sums,  was  abandoned  before  attacked,  as 
there  were  no  men  to  work  the  guns.  Our  Country  appears 
to  be  ruined.  If  it  is  not,  it  must  be  through  the  lenity  of 
those  we  have  very  foolishly  made  our  Enemies.  I  hear 
your  Father  continued  in  Georgetown  though  the  British 
were  so  near. 

I  think  you  must  be  very  deficient  in  Complaisance  not  to 
wait  on  the  G's — indeed  not  to  return  every  civility,  as  far  as 
you  can  without  neglecting  your  business,  which  nothing 
should  tempt  you  to  do.  You  may  be  assured  that  if  you 
would  be  respected  you  must  respect.  If  you  think  the  pur- 
chase of  an  agreeable  acquaintance  not  worth  your  attention 
you  will  not  obtain  it^ — and  then  no  place  can  be  made  agree- 
able to  you. 

People  all  like  attention,  and  a  visit  from  a  well-behaved 
young  gentleman  will  always  be  acceptable  to  young  ladies, 
and  it  is  a  compliment  expected  by  them,  and  if  omitted 
gives  offense.  What  have  you  done  with  the  new  acquaint- 
ance you  said  you  have  made.  I  counsel  you  to  beware  of 
young  men,  they  are  generally  corrupt  in  principle  and 
abominable  in  practice. 


(JlXtmetrp  m  (Beorgeiown.  169 

In  the  company  of  young  ladies  there  is  no  danger.  There 
is  nothing  now  but  confusion  of  War  and  distress  of  fam- 
ilies.    No  safe  place  of  abode  and  everything  to  be  dreaded. 

All  join  in  love  and  best  wishes.  If  you  come  down  I 
hope  you  will  take  Woodstock  in  your  way. 

Yr.  Affect.  Grandmother, 

M.  Hesselius. 

The  following  letter,  although  without  date,  must  have 
been  written  some  time  in  1814.  It  gives  an  idea  of  the 
horror  excited  by  the  name  of  Bonaparte  even  in  this  re- 
mote region,  and  serves  to  show  also  the  state  of  feeling 
which  existed  in  some  classes  of  the  community  with  regard 
to  our  own  rulers: 

Mrs.  Belt  to  Mr,  FitzJmgJi. 

Your  letter  my  dear  Mr  F.  made  me  both  glad  and  sorry 
— sorry  that  my  dear  Peggy  is  indisposed — but  it  is  good 
news  indeed  that  yr  corn  beats  yr  neighbor  Y's  All  yr 
bright  prospects  delight  my  heart,  and  I  think  I  can  delight 
yr  heart  too,  by  telling  you  the  great  news  our  Paper  gave 
us  yesterday  Evening,  of  the  complete  overthrow  of  the 
French  Army  last  month — 35000  French  the  paper  says  are 
annihilated — that  is  a  strange  expression — but  the  English 
of  it  is — they  are  destroyed  as  an  army,  and  all  are  taken 
prisoners  or  killed,  but  the  wretched  animal  of  an  Emperor 
was  not  there.  Austria  has  declared  in  favor  of  Russia,  and 
I  say,  the  Empress  will  assist  in  having  her  Samson  shorn. 
Take  notice  of  this  prediction — but  if  she  should  fail  me  I 


I/O  (Rafter  'S)u^an^  il^^teon. 

shall  blame  her  altogether — for  her  want  of  Philanthropy, 
and  cannot  help  thinking  she  is  highly  responsible  to  the 
world  at  large  to  exert  all  her  power  in  their  favor — but  when 
I  consider  the  Solemn  Oath  she  took,  it  is  a  stumbling  block 
in  my  way  that  I  cannot  scramble  over,  and  I  actually  would 
not  be  situated  as  she  is,  for  ten  thousand-thousand  worlds. 
Poor  wretched  woman.     What  must  she  do ! 

Poor  Ben  Nicholson,  you  have  no  doubt  seen,  was  killed 
at  York.  I  have  not  seen  any  of  the  family.  John  Ridout 
came  here  in  the  Packet  on  Friday,  to  see  what  was  going 
on.  He  gives  a  very  diverting  account  of  their  alarm  in 
Annapolis; — his  Father  turned  out.  but  did  not  know  how 
to  manage  his  musket,  not  having  touched  a  Gun  for  years — 
he  wanted  John  to  give  him  some  idea  of  it  but  I  think  he 
said  he  had  not  leisure  to  attend  to  him,  and  if  an  attack  had 
been  made  I  suppose  he  must  have  taken  to  his  heels,  as 
many  others  would  have  done.  I  asked  John  what  his 
Father  thought  of  the  destruction  of  Havre  de  Grace  &c  and 
he  says  he  never  saw  his  Father  vexed  with  the  English  be- 
fore. I  am  most  truly  sorry  for  the  poor  dear  sufferers,  but 
firmly  believe  the  British  had  no  intention  of  burning  either 
of  the  Towns,  and  would  not  have  done  it  if  the  Flag  had 
not  been  fired  on — which  I  suppose  never  was  done  before 
in  a  civilized  nation.  ^Ir.  Ramsay  has  been  down  and  staid 
with  us.  He  was  at  Mr.  Hu8:hes'  Furnace  when  thev  de- 
stroyed  it — and  conversed  with  them — they  told  him,  they 
never  thought  of  destroying  Havre-de-Grace  till  they  fired 
on  them — but  he  did  not  speak  of  the  Flag.  George  F  has 
bought  a  Horse  but  I  am  afraid  to  trust  him  in  the  Gig  or  I 
might  be  tempted  to  take  that  "  Jig  "  with  you  whilst  we  are 


QlXiniotr^  in  (Beorgetown.  171 

all  quiet,  and  an  Armistice  is  talked  of.  The  rain  this  even- 
ing prevented  my  attending  Doctor  Kemp — and  to  comfort 
myself  I  seated  myself  to  talk  to  you  and  have  written  a 
larger  volume  than  Duvall  could  have  done,  if  it  was  to  be 
wholly  confined  to  the  justification  of  our  Rulers — indeed 
there  is  nothing  to  be  said  with  truth — but  that  they  are  the 
tools  of  Bonaparte  and  I  hope  their  reign  will  end  with  his 
and  very  soon,  in  which  you  will  all  join 

Your  afifect 

C.  Belt. 

The  following  letter  from  Mrs.  Hanson,  who  was  then  liv- 
ing with  her  son  in  Georgetown,  was  written,  I  presume,  in 
the  same  year  to  Mrs.  Belt: 

Georgetown,  /ime  jth. 
My  dear  Kitty  : 

There  are  few  things  in  this  world  which  would  give  me 
such  delight  as  having  you  with  us  these  awful  times,  do 
write  to  me  and  tell  me  all  your  plans.  The  newspapers  will 
inform  you  of  all  the  grand  doings  here  on  Saturday.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  I  was  not  a  witness  to  any  part  of  it — the  dread 
of  being  in  so  great  a  crowd,  and  not  having  any  one  to  en- 
courage me  I  did  not  attempt  it — had  you  been  here,  we 
should  both  have  been  there,  and  from  all  accts  we  slid, 
have  been  paid  amply  for  our  trouble.  Walter  did  not  at- 
tend at  Church  or  Dinner, — I  am  sure  no  one  rejoices  more 
sincerely  than  he  does  at  the  victory  of  the  Russians — but  he 
has  scruples  that  prevented  him.  I  wish  it  was  in  my  power 
to  get  to  you,  but  that  is  impossible. 
•  My  love  to  the  dear  Fitzhughs.     Ever  yours, 

R.  Hanson. 


172  (^dUv  ^uhn^  il^bieon. 

In  the  year  181 6  Mr.  Addison  suffered  much  from  severe 
inflammation  of  the  eyes,  and  in  November  of  that  year  we 
find  the  following  petition  from  the  vestry,  written,  however, 
by  his  hand: 

"'  We,  the  members  of  the  Vestry  of  St.  John's  Church, 
Georgetown,  fully  sensible  how  important  it  is  that  the  ser- 
vices of  our  church  should  be  duly  and  regularly  performed, 
and  as  our  Rector,  W.  D.  Addison,  is,  through  indisposi- 
tion, unable  to  go  through  the  same,  we  therefore  request 
you  to  appoint  Francis  S.  Key  as  Lay  Reader,  whose  Talents 
and  Piety,  and  soundness  in  the  Faith,  render  him  apt  and 
meet  to  exercise  the  office  thus  reposed  in  him.  We  are, 
Rt.  Rev.  Sir,  yours  very  respectfully, 

W.  D.  Addison. 

(Here  follow  the  names  of  the  Vestry.) 

In  a  private  letter  to  the  Bishop,  which  accompanies  this, 
he  says:  "A  Lay  Reader  would  enable  me  to  serve  occa- 
sionally the  vacant  churches  in  the  neighborhood,  to  admin- 
ister the  Holy  Sacraments."  He  also  mentions  the  fact  that 
his  "  eyes  are  seriously  inflamed." 


ST.  JOHN'S,  GEORGETOWN. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

His  Ministry  in  Georgetown  Continued. 

1817-1824. 

IS  ministry  in  Georgetown  was  eminently  success- 
ful," writes  my  uncle.  ''  He  was  esteemed  and  be- 
^?^  loved  by  his  people,  and  greatly  revered  for  his  un- 
•*^^j^  affected  piety  by  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him. 
This  ministry  continued  in  all  17  years,  but  as  early  as  in  the 
year  181 7  he  was  seized  with  inflammation  of  the  eyes,  which 
greatly  impeded  his  work  and  eventually  culminated  in 
blindness.  He  at  that  time  sent  in  his  resignation  to  the 
vestry,  but  it  was  not  accepted,  and  he  continued  his  minis- 
trations at  St.  John's,  with  the  very  valuable  assistance  of  the 
Rev.  Reuel  Keith,  afterwards  Professor  Keith  of  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  of  which  institution,  during  its  infancy,  he 
took  almost  entire  charge." 

We  find  an  allusion  to  this  arrangement  in  a  letter  to 
Bishop  Kemp: 

Georgetown,  May  6t/i,  18 17. 

Rt.  Rev.  &  dear  Sir  : 

I  received  yr.  kind  letter  of  the  ist,  and  am  happy  to  in- 
form you  that  matters  are  settled  agreeably  to  my  wishes.  I 
consented  to  serve  provided  the  vestry  would  allow  me  an 


1/4  (Rafter  ©ufanj  cE^^ieon. 

assistant,  which  they  have  agreed  to  do.  By  this  arrange- 
ment, I  shall  be  able  to  take  charge  of  a  country*  church 
within  a  few  miles  of  this  place — this  is  a  matter  which  I 
have  very  much  at  heart,  as  the  people  of  that  place  can  not 
afford  to  employ  a  minister.  I  shall  be  glad  to  receive  your 
approbation  in  this  matter.  .  .  ." 

My  grandfather  was  too  bold  and  outspoken  in  his  advo- 
cacy of  what  he  believed  to  be  right,  and  in  his  condemna- 
tion of  what  he  conceived  to  be  wrong,  not  to  encounter 
opposition  from  those  whose  standards  differed  from  his; 
and  while  in  the  main  I  am  quite  sure  that  my  uncle's  esti- 
mate of  his  ministry  in  Georgetown  was  perfectly  correct,  I 
think  that  his  popularity  declined  in  the  later  years  of  his 
rectorship.  After  Christ  Church  was  started  many  of  the 
younger  and  gayer  of  his  congregation  drifted  away  from 
him,  while  the  attachment  of  the  more  earnest  members  of 
his  church  became  stronger  and  closer.  I  think  I  trace  the 
first  premonition  of  this  change  in  a  letter  to  Bishop  Kemp 
written  in  1817. 

Between  the  Bishop  and  himself  there  appears  to  have  ex- 
isted a  warm  affection,  although  they  were  not  always  en- 
tirely agreed  in  their  opinions.  In  this  year  (181 7)  we  find  a 
correspondence  between  them  on  the  subject  of  "  prayer- 
meetings  "  and  "  extempore  prayer."  His  letters  only  re- 
main, but  we  have  a  clue  to  the  tenor  of  the  Bishop's  in  the 
extracts  he  gives  from  them.  One  would  have  liked,  how- 
ever, to  have  seen  the  entire  correspondence. 


*  Rock  Creek. 


To  BisJiop  Kevip. 

Rt.  Rev.  and  dear  Sir  : 

I  have  been  endeavoring  for  some  time  past  to  establish 
prayer-meetings  in  this  place  and  am  sorry  to  say  that  my 
labors  have  not  been  crowned  with  success:  the  prejudices 
here  are  strong  against  every  thing  of  the  kind.  Sunday 
service  they  seem  to  think  quite  sufficient.  In  addition  to 
prayer-meetings  in  private  houses,  it  is  my  desire  to  open 
my  church  one  evening  in  the  week,  for  Divine  service;  I 
wanted  also  to  deliver  a  sermon.  As  I  am.  fully  assured  that 
you  will  highly  approve  of  the  plans  here  suggested,  I  must 
then  get  the  favor  of  you  to  signify  your  approbation  of  the 
same,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  me.  The  dissipation  here  has 
grown  to  a  very  alarming  height,  and  I  know  of  no  other 
methods  by  which  it  may  be  put  down  than  the  ones  I  state. 
Yrs  my  dear  Sir  with  the  highest  Respect 

W.  D.  Addison. 

It  is  dif^cult  to  realize  in  this  advanced  age  that  a  single 
weekly  service  should  have  been  considered  such  an  inno- 
vation as  to  excite  prejudice  and  opposition  in  the  congre- 
gation, and  render  it  expedient  for  the  Rector  to  ask  the 
Bishop's  sanction;  but  such  seems  to  have  been  the  state  of 
the  case. 

On  the  subject  of  extempore  prayer  Bishop  Kemp  appears 
to  have  been  non-committal,  and  about  "  the  prayer-meet- 
ings "  a  little  lukewarm,  for  in  another  letter  Mr.  Addison 
writes:  "  I  find  in  your  letter  you  have  given  no  sanction  to 
extempore  prayer,  nor  do  I  recollect  ever  having  heard  you 


176  (pDafter  <S)uian^  il^Meon. 

say  anything  in  favor  of  it.  I  asked  for  yr  sentiments  on 
the  subject  of  prayer-meetings,  not  a  word  of  extempore 
prayer." 

In  still  another  letter,  referring  to  the  same  subject,  he 
says:  "  I  quote  yr  own  words:  'As  to  Prayer-Meetings,  I  am 
of  opinion  that  their  success  and  utility  will  depend  upon  a 
variety  of  circumstances  that  must  be  left  to  the  Prudence 
and  Discretion  of  every  Clergyman.' " 

The  two  following  letters  explain  his  course  at  this  time: 

Georgetown,  Nov.  ^d,  1820. 
Rt.  Rev.  &  Dear  Sir  : 

Some  changes  have  taken  place  in  this  Parish  since  I  saw 
you,  which  make  me  desirous  to  leave  it.  This  being  the 
state  of  things,  I  wish  you  to  take  the  matter  into  considera- 
tion and  advise  me  where  to  go. 

Knowing  your  Disposition  to  serve  me  at  all  times,  there 
needs  no  apolog}^  for  any  trouble  I  may  give  you  in  the 
course  of  the  Business.  One  thing  I  have  to  request  that 
for  particular  reasons,  the  matter  may  rest  between  our- 
selves.    I  am  dear  Sir  with  high  Regard  &  Esteem 

Walter  D.  Addison. 

Georgetown,  Dec.  1st,  1820. 
Jkfy  dear  Sir : 

I  received  your  friendly  letter  of  23d  of  November,  for 
which  I  must  beg  you  to  accept  my  hearty  thanks.  After 
Aveighing  all  matters  well,  I  am  clearly  of  opinion  that  the 
Plan  which  you  suggest  is  a  good  one.     After  a  few  months 


QUinie^vj  in  (Beof^etown.  177 

have  elapsed  I  think  there  might  possibly  be  some  prospect 
of  making  a  proposition  to  the  two  churches  of  having  them 
reunited.  The  charms  of  Novelty  are  great  to  some  minds 
and  when  they  are  aided  by  Piety  and  Talents  both  of  which 
I  think  this  young  man"^  possesses  in  an  eminent  degree — 
these  circumstances  preclude  the  Hope  of  success  at  this 
time.  Should  the  aspect  of  things  prove  more  favorable 
you  shall  hear  from  me,  as  I  shall  need  yr  aid  and  advice. 
We  have  a  Friend  above  to  whom  I  am  willing  to  submit  all 
things.     Do  remember  me  kindly  to  Mrs  Kemp. 

My  dear  Sir,  yours  with  high  esteem  and  afifection 

Walter  D.  Addison. 

What  anxieties  and  "  searchings  of  heart "  preceded  this 
resolution  to  give  up  his  church  we  do  not  know.  Dr.  But- 
ler tells  us  that  he  resigned  the  rectorship  of  St.  John's 
*'  under  the  conviction  that  his  usefulness  had  diminished, 
and  that  the  parish  might  prosper  better  in  other  hands." 
One  can  easily  understand  that  this  "  conviction "  was 
reached  by  painful  steps,  but  probably  to  Bishop  Kemp 
alone  he  confided  his  difificulties,  for  no  record  of  them  re- 
mains in  his  family.  A  few  months  after  we  find  the  fol- 
lowing letter  to  the  Bishop : 

Apl.  24^/1,  1 82 1. 
My  dear  Sir  : 

The  Revd  Stephen  Tyng,  a  young  man  from  the  East- 
ward, has  preached  for  me  several  times.     My  congregation 

*  The  young  man  whose  merits  receive  such  generous  recognition 
from  my  grandfather  was  the  Rev.  Charles  Mcllvane,  so  distinguished 
first  as  Professor  at  West  Point,  and  then  as  one  of  the  leading  Bishops 
of  our  Church. 


1 78  (^aittv  ©ufanj  dl^bteon. 

so  far  as  I  know  their  sentiments  are  much  pleased  with  him. 
I  believe  the  vestry  would  engage  him  to  take  charge  of  this 
Parish  were  you  fully  satisfied  with  his  recommendations — 
which  will  be  laid  before  you  by  himself.  He  reads  re- 
markably well,  and  is  a  good  preacher — and  I  know  of  no 
man  more  qualified  to  meet  the  views  of  the  congregation  in 
every  respect.  He  is  quite  a  genteel  man,  and  of  consider- 
able Address — and  as  I  observed  before,  he  seems  to  give 
very  general  satisfaction.  He  brings  letters  from  Bishops 
Hobart,  and  Griswold.     I  am  dear  sir,  yours  affectionately 

W.  D.  Addison. 

Immediately  after  his  resignation  my  grandfather  took 
charge  of  Rock  Creek  Church  and  Addison's  Chapel,  to 
both  of  which  he  had  already  devoted  a  good  deal  of  his 
time  and  labor.  But  in  1823  Mr.  Tyng  accepted  a  call  to 
Queen  Anne's,  Prince  George's  county,  and  he  was  (I  be- 
lieve unanimously)  recalled  -to  his  old  church,  where  he 
remained  until  1827. 

The  project  for  founding  a  theological  seminary  at  Alex- 
andria was  first  agitated,  according  to  my  information,  in 
1 81 8.  The  scheme  was  regarded  with  some  degree  of  dis- 
favor and  suspicion  by  a  certain  party  in  the  Church;  but 
from  the  first  my  grandfather  gave  it  his  earnest  support. 
He  felt  strongly,  however,  the  importance  ,of  proceeding 
with  caution  and  deliberation  and  in  strict  conformitv  to  the 
authority  of  the  Bishops  and  the  Convention.  He  endeav- 
ored vainly  to  enlist  Bishop  Kemp  among  its  supporters. 
Failing  in  this,  and  finding  it  was  likely  to  be  a  source  of 
dissension  in  the  Church,  he  appears  to  have  taken  no  fur- 


QUimettr^  in  (Beot^etown.  179 

ther  active  part  in  it,  until  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  in 
1822,  when  finding  the  movement  could  no  longer  be  re- 
pressed, he  used  his  influence  to  have  it  recognized  by  that 
body.  This  motion  met  with  opposition,  especially  from 
Bishop  Kemp,  but,  I  believe,  was  finally  carried. 

Although  at  the  risk  of  offending  a  much  valued  friend, 
he  could  not  allow  his  judgment  or  his  vote  to  be  biased  by 
his  affection  in  a  matter  which  he  felt  to  be  of  so  much  con- 
sequence. Bishop  Kemp  seems,  from  a  letter  of  that  date, 
to  have  felt  personally  aggrieved  by  his  action. 

"  At  this  time,''  writes  my  uncle,  *'  he  also  gave  what 
material  aid  was  in  his  power  to  the  infant  institution." 

To  Bishop  Kemp. 

June  20th,  1 8 18. 
Rt.  Rev.  &  Dear  Sir  : 

As  it  has  been  recommended  by  the  Conventions  of  Mary- 
land  &  Virginia  to  raise  funds  for  the  education  of  young 
men  for  the  Ministry,  it  is  proposed  by  the  Clergy  of  the 
District  of  Columbia  to  establish  a  society  here  for  that  pur- 
pose. There  was  a  meeting  a  few  days  ago  at  which  I  was 
present.  After  attending  to  what  was  said  on  the  subject  I 
informed  the  gentlemen  that  I  would  give  my  most  hearty 
concurrence  provided  it  could  either  receive  the  sanction  of 
Convention  of  the  two  states  or  the  approbation  of  the 
Bishops,  but  inasmuch  as  these  Conventions  are  so  distant 
&  the  Desire  seems  to  be  very  strong  to  proceed  in  the 
business  immediately  I  recommended  the  latter  mode,  which 
was  agreed  to.     It  is  now  my  most  earnest  request  that  you 


i8o  (WaUtv  ^nhn^  M^ieon. 

will  signify  to  me  by  letter  immediately  your  Approbation  to 
the  measure  provided  there  be  no  Article  in  the  Constitution 
contrary  to  the  Doctrine  &  Discipline  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church.  I  have  many  weighty  reasons  for  being 
thus  urgent  which  I  can  not  now  state  to  you.  I  should 
thank  you  if  you  would  grant  j\Ir.  Key  permission  to  retain 
his  license.  I  am  sometimes  called  from  home  and  it  might 
be  an  injury  to  shut  up  my  church  at  such  time. 

I  am,  Dear  Sir,  with  high  regard  yrs  affect'ly 

W.  D.  Addison. 

P.  S.     Do  let  me  hear  from  you  soon. 

/7ify  \2th,  1822. 
Rt.  Rev.  &  Dear  Sir  : 

Your  letter  of  the  ist  of  June  reached  me  only  a  few  days 
ago.  I  am  really  grieved  to  find  that  you  have  thought 
proper  to  measure  my  regard  for  you  by  my  vote  in  conven- 
tion. I  will  give  you  my  reasons  for  the  part  I  took  and 
then  you  can  judge  whether  I  treated  you  ill  or  not.  From 
all  I  can  learn,  there  are  certain  gentlemen  of  this  District 
who  are  determined  at  all  events  to  establish  a  Theological 
school  in  this  place.  This  being  the  state  of  the  case,  I  con- 
ceived it  my  Duty  to  seize  the  first  opportunity  of  bringing 
them  under  the  authority  of  the  Convention  and  thereby 
give  a  check  to  any  rash  project  and  prevent  Disorders  & 
Confusion  in  the  Church.  I  can  safely  declare  with  you 
that  "  My  conduct  had  in  view  no  object  but  to  preserve  the 
unity  and  promote  the  prosperity  of  the  Church." 

Yr  sincere  friend  and  Brother 

W.  D.  Addison. 


QUime^v^  Ux  (Beor^e^own.  i8i 

A?^^.  1 8//^,  1825. 
Rt.  Rev.  and  Dear  Sir :  ' 

It  always  gives  me  pain  to  disagree  with  you  in  opinion, 
and  I  am  sorry  to  find  that  we  differ  so  widely  in  the  present 
case. 

As  there  is  no  law  in  the  Church  against  the  Establish- 
ment of  Diocesan  Theological  Schools,  and  as  this  School 
is  under  the  control  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of 
Virginia,  I  cannot  see  the  evils  which  appear  to  present 
themselves  so  forcibly  to  yr  mind. 

On  the  contrary  I  am  under  the  impression  that  great 
Advantages  are  held  out,  particularly  to  students  who  are 
to  settle  in  the  South.  As  the  matter  presents  itself  thus  to 
my  mind,  I  could  not  conscientiously  have  acted  otherwise 
than  I  have  done.  I  send  you  by  mail  a  Journal  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  last  Convention  of  Virginia,  where  you  will 
see  the  Report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Theological 
School  of  that  State.  When  you  shall  have  read  and  atten- 
tively observed  the  Progress  and  Regulations  of  the  same  I 
trust  all  opposition  on  your  part  will  cease,  and  that  you 
will  immediately  become  one  of  its  warmest  supporters. 

I  am  Dear  Sir  Yrs  affect'ly 

W.  D.  Addison. 

The  Colonization  Society  met  with  his  cordial  support, 
as  did  the  Temperance  movement,  which  about  that  time 
began  to  agitate  the  minds  of  the  benevolent.  Bishop 
Meade  tells  us  that  he  "  from  that  time  ceased  to  take  even  a 
small  glass  of  very  weak  toddy  with  his  dinner,  as  had,  t^ll 
then,  been  his  custom."     He  continues: 


1 82  (JDaftev  ©ufan^  ilbtieon. 

"  Generous  alms-giving  was  only  one  outcome  of  his 
large  charity.  Though  outspoken  against  vice  in  the  pulpit 
and  elsewhere,  no  one  could  have  been  kinder,  more  forgiv- 
ing and  hopeful  when  he  saw  a  fault  repented  of;  and  many 
a  troubled,  newly  awakened  soul  found  through  his  gentle 
interpretation  of  Scripture  a  God  of  mercy,  pardon  and  for- 
giveness. Not  only  by  the  sick-bed  and  the  open  grave,  but 
at  weddings  and  christenings,  in  the  common  pathway, 
around  the  social  fireside,  his  people  met  and  welcomed  him, 
when  the  reverence  and  kindness,  enjoined  by  such  a  pres- 
ence, in  no  way  detracted  from  innocent  enjoyment.  He 
was  a  thorough  Churchman,  though  no  bigot,  but  a  broad, 
wide-hearted  Christian,  abounding  in  human  charity,  recog- 
nizing all  other  true  believers  as  kindred  in  spirit  however 
divided  in  name.  Christian  unity  was  not  then  much  heard 
of,  but  in  all  his  relations  to  other  denominations  he  showed 
a  toleration  and  liberality  which  must  have  widened  no  little 
his  benign  Christian  influence.  Having  attained  'the  end 
of  the  commandments,  which  is  charity  out  of  a  pure  heart 
and  a  good  conscience  and  a  faith  unfeigned,'  he  embraced 
all  Christians  in  the  arms  of  his  wide-extending  charity.  He 
could  not  endure  'the  unchurching  doctrine,'  and  utterly 
rejected  it.  Just  before  I  lived  with  him,  an  Episcopal 
paper  was  commenced  at  the  North,  in  which  that  position 
was  taken.  On  finding  that  it  declared  all  other  Churches 
out  of  the  covenant,  he  returned  it  and  refused  to  receive  it 
any  longer." 

We  have  seen  how,  in  a  corner  of  his  parish  where  neither 
he  nor  any  of  the  Episcopal  ministers  had  been  able  to  make 
any  impression,  he  had  bid  the  Methodists  "  Godspeed,"  and 


furnished  them  every  assistance  in  building  a  church,  hoping 
they  might  do  what  he  had  been  unable  to  do;  and  how  in 
Georgetown  Dr.  Balch  and  himself  had  worked  together 
harmoniously  in  the  Lord's  vineyard,  we  will  see  that  with 
his  Roman  Catholic  brethren  he  maintained  the  same  Chris- 
tian intercourse.  "While  living  in  Georgetown,"  says  Mr. 
Allen,  "  he  was  also  on  the  most  friendly  terms  with  the 
Roman  Catholics  at  the  convent,  which  I  believe  adjoined 
his  house.  In  particular  there  subsisted  a  friendship  between 
himself  and  the  superior,  Father  Claravio,  which  led  to  a  fre- 
quent interchange  of  visits  and  lasted  till  death  divided  them. 
On  one  occasion  the  good  Father  endeavored  to  induce  him 
to  unite  himself  with  the  R.  C.  Church.  He  responded  that 
although  Christian  charity  prevented  him  from  waging  war 
with  brother  Christians,  it  did  not  make  him  blind  to  their 
errors,  and  that  he  felt  for  his  own  church  a  warm  and  steady 
■devotion  from  which  he  could  never  be  seduced.  The  prop- 
osition was  never  renewed.  His  charitable  forbearance, 
however,  frequently  obtained  for  him  the  presence  of  Roman 
Catholic  families  at  his  church."  "  The  Father  C.  alluded  to 
hy  Mr.  Allen,"  writes  my  uncle,  Dr.  Addison,  "  was  a 
French  gentleman  of  much  excellence.  There  was  a  romance 
connected  with  his  history,  which  I  will  here  relate.  He  was  an 
ofificer  in  the  French  army,  stationed  at  St.  Domingo  at  the 
time  of  the  negro  insurrection.  There  he  was  engaged  to  be 
married  to  a  Miss  O'Rourke  of  that  island.  Her  family 
were  obliged  to  flee  for  their  lives,  and  took  refuge  in  Balti- 
more. His  regiment  w^as  ordered  ofif.  It  was  while  the 
wars  of  Napoleon  were  desolating  Europe,  and  the  rumor 
reached  her  that  he  had  been  killed  in  battle.     Some  years 


1 84  (5S)after  ©ufanp  cE^^teon. 

elapsed,  and,  yielding  to  the  persuasions  of  her  family,  she 
consented  to  become  the  wife  of  another.     Not  long  after 
this  marriage  the  young  soldier  returned  to  claim  her  hand, 
and  she,  overwhelmed  with  despair,  cast  herself  from  a  win- 
dow and  was  dashed  to  pieces.     He   then   renounced   the 
world  and  entered  the  priesthood;  he  was  sent  to  this  coun- 
try^, and  for  many  years  held  the  office  of  Father  Superior  at 
the  Convent  in  Georgetown,  where  he  was  greatly  revered 
for  his  piety  by  that  community,  as  well  as  beloved  by  all 
who  knew  him.     In  his  last  illness  your  grandfather  was 
often   beside  his   couch.     Just  before   his   death,   when   he 
could  no  longer  articulate,  the  dying  priest  took  my  father's 
hand  in  his  and  pressed  it  with  a  look  of  ineffable  tenderness. 
A  nun  standing  by,  and  witnessing  the  scene,  said :  '  Ah,  sir, 
you  don't  know  how  he  loves  you.' "     "  It  is  among  the 
most  pleasing  reminiscences   of  Mr.   Addison,"  writes   my 
uncle,   Wm,   Meade  Addison,   "that  he  cultivated   friendly 
relations  and  lived  on  terms  of  kindness  with  his  Roman 
Catholic  neighbors,  and  he  remembers  with  gratitude  the 
attentions  of  the  convent  to  his  family  during  the  last  ill- 
ness of  a  son,  whose  death  drew  from  the  sisterhood  a  letter 
expressing  their  cordial  sympathy  with  him  in  his  sore  be- 
reavement. 

''  When  ]^Ir.  A^aughan  was  minister  to  this  country  from 
Great  Britain  he  showed  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hamburg  an  Eng- 
lish publication  entitled  Blanco  White,  an  able  and  severe 
attack  on  the  Romanists.  Mr.  Hamburg  submitted  it  to  the 
inspection  of  Bishop  Kemp  and  many  of  the  clergy  of  this 
Diocese.  It  was  resolved  to  publish  it,  and  the  co-operation 
of  Mr.  Addison  was  requested,  which  he  refused,  believing 


QUtmatt^  in  (Becfge^otvn.  185 

that  the  measure  would  prove  an  unwise  one,  but  above  all 
considerations  of  policy  was  another,  and  a  more  coercive 
with  him:  that  it  was  uncharitable  and  unchristian." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Gathering  Clouds. 
1 824- 1 830. 

"And  now  men  see  not  the  bright  light  that  is  in  the  clouds." 

N  the  year  1824  the  inflammation  in  his  eyes  re- 
turned and  again  threatened  bHndness.  His  daugh- 
ter writes:  "  My  evenings  are  spent  in  writing  for 
my  father";  she  also  mentions  that  he  was  ''  much 
depressed  at  the  loss  of  $1500,"  which  he  had  designed  as  a 
little  portion  for  his  third  son  (who  was  about  starting  in 
life  as  a  lawyer  and  wished  to  go  West),  as  it  left  him  with- 
out the  means  of  helping  him.  His  two  elder  sons  had  been 
well  equipped  for  the  battle  of  life;  he  had  every  reason  to 
anticipate  for  them  a  prosperous  career,  and  he  desired  that 
this  son  should  receive  an  equal  portion.  His  anxieties, 
however,  were  relieved  by  the  unexpected  arrival  of  his  son 
Lloyd,  who  came  from  Louisville  in  his  "gig"  to  pay  his 
father  a  visit,  and  took  his  brother  back  with  him.  He  was 
already  a  prosperous  merchant,  and  in  a  few  years  Augustus 
had  established  himself  in  an  excellent  practice.  About  the 
fortunes  of  these  two  grandsons,  their  grandmother  Hesse- 
lius  had,  when  they  were  boys,  suffered  much  in  her  mind, 
and  her  apprehensions  appeared  to  be  well  founded.     To 


BatU^in^  €fou^0.  187 

their  eldest  brother,  then  pursuing  his  medical  studies  in 
Philadelphia,  she  wrote:  ''I  mentioned  to  you  in  my  last 
that  I  had  succeeded,  through  the  instrumentality  of  Mr. 
Ridout  to  get  $5000  dolls,  made  over  to  your  sister;"^'  it  will 
be  a  little  independence  for  her,  though  much  below  former 
expectations.  Your  father  has  always  been  of  such  a  temper 
that  he  will  not  withhold  any  thing  from  his  children  that  he 
can  bestow,  but  from  present  prospects  his  fortune  will 
scarcely  hold  out  till  your  brothers  are  established  in  life. 
God  knows  best.  An  All  Wise  Providence  may  perhaps 
see  best  for  all  of  you  to  act  in  a  lower  sphere  than  you  had 
been  taught  to  expect  and  that  I  should  be  mortified  with 
the  prospect." 

Her  anxieties,  however,  proved  needless.  My  uncles  were 
all  of  them,  I  think,  men  of  exceptional  ability.  My  uncle 
Lloyd  not  many  years  after  this  left  Louisville  for  New 
Orleans  with  a  capital  of  $100,000,  and  his  brother  Augustus, 
after  fair  success  in  Louisville  as  a  lawyer,  removed  to 
Natchez,  where  he  took  a  high  position  at  the  bar,  and  after 
some  years  retired  to  a  large  plantation  across  the  river. 
Both  acquired  in  a  few  years  more  wealth  than  it  would  have 
been  in  the  power  of  their  father  to  have  bestowed  upon 
them  if  he  had  retained  the  broad  acres  which  he  inherited. 

It  is  remarkable  that  my  uncle  Augustus,  who  after  many 
years  returned  to  Maryland,  might  have  repurchased  Oxon 
Hill,  but  preferred  to  buy  a  place  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river.  Of  the  other  children,  the  eldest  son,  Edmund  Brice, 
from  whose  "  Recollections "  this  little  memoir  is  chiefly 
compiled,  might  have  taken  a  high  position  in  his  profession, 


*This  at  her  marriage  was  returned  to  him  for  his  use  during  his  life. 


1 88  (^aiUv  ^uian^  cE^^teon. 

but  he  preferred  the  retirement  of  a  countr}^  hfe.  He  mar- 
ried a  lady  of  some  fortune,  Miss  Bowie,  of  Prince  George's, 
to  whom  he  was  deeply  attached.  Their  home  was  in  Bal- 
timore county,  but  after  her  death  he  removed  to  Alex- 
andria, where  he  lived  for  years  in  the  deepest  seclusion, 
devoting  himself  entirely  to  his  children,  who,  in  their 
turn,  adored  him.  He  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  loved  and 
honored  by  all  who  knew  him.  A  keen  sense  of  humor, 
joined  to  a  highly  cultivated  mind,  and  a  memory  richly 
stored  with  anecdote,  made  him  a  charming  companion,  and 
the  young  particularly  enjoyed  his  society.  One  of  these 
young  friends,  writing  of  him,  says :  "  With  him  passed  away 
the  one  link  that  bound  us  to  the  people  and  scenes  of  his 
youth  and  generation.  Oh  those  olden  gentlemen!  Will 
we  ever  see  their  like  again!  Their  courtliness,  their  gentle 
suavity  of  manner  to  rich  and  poor,  high  and  low,  old  and 
young — the  grace  caught  from  a  time  when  birth  and  edu- 
cation marked  the  gentleman,  rather  than  what  he  owned! 
In  that  abiding  charity  of  his  which  thought  no  evil,  he 
credited  his  friends  with  virtues  they  might  hesitate  to  claim 
for  themselves,  and  if  he  knew  their  faults  he  never  spoke  of 
them.  His  sight  became  totally  obscured  some  years  be- 
fore his  death,  but  dreadful  as  was  this  dispensation  to  one 
of  his  literarv  attainment  and  habits,  never  was  murmur 
heard  to  escape  his  lips.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend  a  short  time 
before  his  death  he  says :  '  From  childhood  to  youth,  from 
manhood  to  old  age,  I  have  been  unusually  blessed  in  every 
phase  of  my  life.'  In  some  verses  composed  after  his  afflic- 
tion he  savs: 


Bat^tvirx^  ^JDfoube.  189 

"  Father  of  light  !  though  reft  of  outward  sense, 
Thou  givest  me  Faith  aud  Hope,  sweet  recompense  ; 
Through  the  dark  Valley  which  must  soon  be  trod, 
These  lights  divine  will  lead  me  home  to  God." 

To  his  youngest  son,  William  Meade,  life  was  a  harder 
struggle,  but  it  was  because  of  his  indifference  to  wealth  and 
the  extremely  generous  disposition  inherited  from  his  father. 
Whatever  he  possessed  belonged  to  whoever  at  the  time 
needed  it  more  than  himself.  He  also  had  ample  opportu- 
nity of  amassing  a  comfortable  fortune  if  that  had  been  his 
aim.  He  held  the  position  of  United  States  District  Attor- 
ney for  Maryland  under  three  administrations,  having  been 
appointed  by  Pierce  and  retained  through  Buchanan's  and 
a  part  of  Lincoln's  terms.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Baltimore 
Bar  it  was  "  Resolved  that  we  recognize  in  the  death  of  Mr. 
Addison  the  loss  of  a  lawyer  of  ability  and  untiring  in- 
dustry, a  cultivated  scholar,  a  zealous  advocate,  and  a  genial, 
high-toned  gentleman."  The  Chair,  in  putting  the  resolu- 
tions, remarked  that  he  had  never  known  during  his  long 
professional  life  a  more  honorable,  chivalric  and  Christian 
gentleman. 

His  daughter  died  soon  after  her  marriage,  leaving  an 
only  child,  who  can  truly  say,  that  although  she  inherited 
from  her  grandfather  only  a  very  small  independence,  yet 
she  has  always  possessed,  together  with  the  affection  of  dear 
friends,  the  advantages  and  enjoyments  of  wealth  in  larger 
measure  than  she  could  have  done  if  she  had  received  that 
portion  of  his  estate  which  would  have  fallen  to  her  lot.  So 
we  see  that  our  Lord's  promise,  that  those  who  despise 
worldly  possessions  for  His  sake   "  shall  receive  manifold 


190  (JOaftcr  ©ufiinp  il^^teon. 

more  in  this  life  and  in  the  world  to  come  life  everlasting," 
was  in  her  case  amply  fulfilled.  To  my  grandfather  himself 
the  "  manifold  more  "  came  in  peace,  serenity  of  mind  and 
holv  joy,  and  to  his  sons,  for  whom  alone  he  valued  wealth, 
in  greater  content  than  he  could  have  given  them. 

In  thinking  of  him  I  am  reminded  of  a  picture  by  Murillo, 
which  I  have  seen  in  the  Louvre  and  which  greatly  im- 
pressed my  fancy.  The  scene  is  laid  in  the  kitchen  of  a  con- 
vent, about  which  are  disposed  the  materials  for  a  feast 
Flesh,  fish  and  fowl  are  there;  everything  which  could  excite 
the  delightful  anticipation  of  the  hungr}'  monks;  but  the 
holy  father,  to  whom  the  preparation  of  the  meal  has  been 
consigned,  stands  in  a  trance;  his  feet  are  not  touching  the 
earth,  his  hands  are  clasped  and  his  eyes  raised.  Lost  in 
heavenly  contemplation,  he  is  utterly  oblivious  of  all  worldly 
concerns.  In  the  meantime  a  bevy  of  little  angels  are  busily 
preparing  the  dinner,  to  spare  the  poor  monks  a  disappoint- 
ment and  shield  the  holy  man  from  reprimand;  and  so,  when 
he  returns  to  earth,  he  finds  that  no  dut}^  has  suffered.  I 
have  always  thought  ^lurillo's  conception  very  touching, 
and  that  it  showed  his  recognition  of  a  truth  which  has  been 
often  verified  in  the  experience  of  saintly  people. 

Aly  grandfather  was  by  no  means  a  good  man  of  business, 
but  his  afifairs  were  conducted  with  the  most  rigid  integrity 
and  regard  for  the  rights  of  all  connected  with  him,  and 
also  with  that  charity  which  "  thinketh  no  evil."  An  article 
in  the  "Southern  Churchman"  says  of  him:  "Such  a  man 
does  not  often  accumulate  property,  at  least  of  that  kind 
which  'moth  and  rust  doth  corrupt,  and  thieves  break 
throu2-h  and  steal ' ;  he  does  not  always  retain  what  he  inher- 


Bat^tvirx^  €fou^0.  191 

ited.  Mr.  Addison's  ancestral  estate  wasted  away,  or  rather 
was  transferred  by  the  heavenly  magic  of  unstinted  giving 
to  another  and  better  country."  Few  men  can  pursue 
two  aims  successfully.  Our  Blessed  Lord  himself  has  de- 
clared that  "  no  man  can  serve  two  masters;  ye  cannot  serve 
God  and  Mammon.''  Therefore  when  he  found  these  rival 
claims  conflicting,  there  was  never  any  hesitation  which  to 
serve,  or  any  compromise  with  "  Mammon."  Oxon  Hill  was 
sold  to  Mr.  Berry  after  Mr.  Addison's  removal  to  George- 
town, because  he  found  the  charge  of  it  involved  a  neglect  of 
higher  duties.  He  also  believed  that  a  regular  income  from 
well  invested  money  would  be  better  for  him  and  for  his 
sons,  who  were  now  of  an  age  when  their  education  was 
necessarily  expensive.  He  was  often  heard  to  say  ''  that  to 
a  young  man  a  fortune  was  a  misfortune."  Yet  he  did  not 
think  it  best  that  his  sons  should  be  too  much  restricted  in 
their  expenses,  and  as  long  as  it  was  in  his  power  they  were 
amply  provided  for.  Though  it  was  a  relief  to  him  to  be 
rid  of  its  care,  and  he  could  say  to  a  friend,  "  Rejoice  with 
me,  I  am  relieved  of  a  great  burden,"  it  was  not  without  a 
pang  that  he  parted  with  his  beautiful  inheritance.  His 
aiTection  for  it  was  shown  in  his  last  hours,  when  he  re- 
quested to  be  carried  back  there  and  "  buried  with  his 
fathers."  I  have  heard  his  management  of  his  estate  very 
severely  criticised,  but  never  by  those  whom  it  most  nearly 
concerned;  his  children  never  spoke  of  him  but  with  grati- 
tude and  reverence.  "  What  grateful  emotions  now  swell 
my  bosom,"  writes  his  son.  Dr.  A.,  "  as  memory  carries  me 
back  to  the  many  manifestations  of  his  love.  His  letters 
always  gave  me  assurance  of  the  deep  interest  he  felt  in  my 


192  (g^aiUv  ©ufanp  dEl^^ieon. 

temporal  concerns,  and  each  one  bore  the  impress  of  his 
greater  regard  for  my  soul.  Oh!  that  the  good  seed  which 
he  has  sown  may  not  have  been  cast  away  among  thorns,  or 
scattered  in  stony  places,  to  be  choked  or  withered,  but 
may  have  found  a  soil  where  the  roots  may  strike  deep  and 
produce  a  hundredfold." 

As  his  pecuniary  misfortunes  have  been  by  some  sup- 
posed to  be  the  result  of  a  culpable  negligence  in  his  con- 
cerns, which  was  most  untrue  and  uncharacteristic  of  him 
(for  he  was  always  methodical  and  painstaking  in  whatever 
he  undertook),  and  persons  generally  have  considered  this  a 
blemish  on  his  otherwise  spotless  memory,  I  will  give  a  brief 
glance  at  the  true  causes  of  his  reduced  circumstances.  The 
repurchase  of  Hart  Park  just  before  the  emancipation  of  his 
slaves,  which  rendered  the  cultivation  of  his  lands  unremu- 
nerative,  embarrassed  him.  But  the  chief  trouble  was  the 
loss  of  the  money  paid  him  for  a  valuable  estate  called  Mt. 
Welby.  He  was  induced  by  a  banking  house  in  George- 
town to  receive  the  bonds  of  Robert  Morris,  whose  great 
reputation  as  a  financier  as  well  as  patriot  had  won  the  con- 
fidence of  his  fellow-citizens.  The  tragedy  of  his  fall,  and 
the  ruin  and  distress  which  his  failure  caused  to  many,  is 
well  known,  and  my  grandfather  was  one  of  the  sufferers. 
He  lost  the  whole  amount  received  for  this  estate."^  The 
money  for  Oxon  Hill  was  also  most  unfortunately  invested, 
and  again  another  sum  already  mentioned.     At  this  time  his 

*In  the  Atlantic  Monthly  for  November,  1890,  I  find  the  following 
in  an  interesting  article  on  Robert  Morris:  "As  early  as  1772  he 
had  considered  with  his  fellow-merchants  a  scheme  for  establishing 
a  bank,  to  be  called  '  The  Bank  of  North  America,'  the  first  incorpo- 


BatUnn^  CPoube.  193 

daughter  speaks  more  than  once  of  his  depression.  This 
and  the  period  immediately  succeeding  the  death  of  his  wife 
were  almost  the  only  times  when  his  uniform  cheerfulness 
and  serenity  of  mind  were  ever  seen  to  desert  him,  and  it  was 
not  for  long.  In  speaking  (just  before  its  close)  of  his  long 
life,  he  said:  "  I  have  had  a  hundred  bright  days  for  one  dark 
one." 

In  the  year  1830  Mr.  Addison  met  with  a  sore  trial  of  his 
faith  and  patience  in  the  death  of  his  son  Francis,  a  pathetic 
incident  preceding  which  I  will  give  in  my  uncle's  words: 
^'  By  his  second  marriage  he  had  t\vo  sons;  the  eldest,  whom 
he  named  Francis  Key,  from  his  dear  friend  Mr.  Francis 
Scott  Key,  was  remarkable  for  his  beauty  and  intelligence. 
He  was  a  youth  of  great  promise,  and  was  preparing  himself 
for  a  cadetship  at  West  Point,  which  through  Mr.  Key's  in- 


rate  bank  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  but  had  given  it  up  on  the 
approach  of  the  Revolution.  Now  he  broached  the  plan  again.  '  I 
mean,'  he  wrote  Franklin,  '  to  render  this  a  principal  pillar  of  Amer- 
ican credit,  so  as  to  obtain  money  of  individuals  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Union,  and  thereby  bind  them  more  strongly  to  the  general  interest  by 
the  ties  of  private  interest.'  In  1781  the  bank  was  incorporated  by 
Congress  and  opened  under  the  presidency  of  Willing,  the  partner  of 
Morris.  The  notes  circulated  at  par.  Nevertheless,  this  was  not  suffi- 
cient. Morris  having  exhausted  other  resources,  repeatedly  staked  his 
own  private  fortune.  In  this  manner  he  facilitated  the  capture  of  Corn- 
wallis  in  September,  1 781,  by  borrowing  on  his  own  credit  a  large  sum 
from  Count  Rochambeau.  He  was  able  to  discharge  a  portion  of  the 
back  pay  of  the  Continental  troops,  thus  checking  the  revolt  they  had 
threatened,  and  enabling  Washington  to  execute  his  designs  on  York- 
town.  At  one  time  his  private  notes,  issued  for  the  public  benefit  and 
received  freely  in  trade,  were  nearly  six  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
When  the  army  was  disbanded  he  tendered  his  resignation  as  superin- 


194  (VOaHtt  ^u^arx^  cH^^teon. 

fluence  had  been  procured  for  him.  My  father  related  to  me 
an  incident  which  occurred  the  day  before  the  illness  which 
terminated  his  life.  In  a  very  pensive  mood  Francis  was 
standing  in  front  of  the  mantelpiece,  with  his  head  resting 
upon  his  arm,  as  if  musing;  suddenly  turning  around  with 
much  seriousness,  he  repeated  from  beginning  to  end  Dr. 
Muhlenberg's  beautiful  hymn,  '  I  would  not  live  alway,' 
which  had  recently  been  published.  His  manner  and  tone 
were  so  peculiar  as  to  afifect  his  father  and  mother  to  tears, 
and  they  often  afterwards  remembered  the  scQue  and  were 
comforted  by  the  remembrance."  This  bereavement  was 
followed  a  few  years  after  by  the  death  of  his  only  and  be- 
loved daughter.  Old  age  was  coming  on.  Bereavement, 
poverty  and  blindness  had  overtaken  him,  and,  like  David, 
he  could  say,  "  All  Thy  waves  and  Thy  storms  have  gone 
over  me." 

tendent  of  finance,  and  the  office  was  discontinued.  No  one  was  found 
to  whom  Congress  was  willing  to  entrust  the  power  it  had  freely  given 
to  Robert  Morris. 

"He  was  the  most  trusted  friend  of  Washington,  and  held  in  equal 
honor  among  the  people.  In  1795  he  retired  from  public  life,  but  not 
from  private  business.  In  his  old  age  he  entered  into  vast  ventures  and 
unexplored  business  enterprises.  He  had  early  become  convinced  that 
the  United  States  was  soon  to  experience  a  vast  increase  of  population, 
and  to  anticipate  this  he  purchased  (partly  in  company  with  others) 
vast  tracts  of  land,  till  he  had  become  interested  in  over  15,000,000  of 
acres,  and  on  his  own  account  in  6,000,000  more. 

"But  the  natural  development  delayed  its  coming,  and  financial 
stress  and  failure  soon  ensued.  In  February,  1798,  he  was  arrested  for 
debt.  He  had  failed  for  $3,000,000.  Yet  in  his  public  character  Morris 
resembled  Washington  in  the  rectitude  of  his  conduct  and  the  eleva- 
tion of  his  character,  and  the  resemblance  may  have  been  the  basis  of 
their  intimacy." — L.  G.  Clark. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
1817-1830. 

'  Nor  spent  his  soul  in  idle  moans, 
But  looking  upward  full  of  grace,  he  prayed, 

and  from  that  happy  place, 
God's  glory  smote  him  on  the  face." — Tennysojt. 


E  know  nothing  of  the  old  Addison  who  originally 
adopted  the  rather  odd  motto  of  this  family.  The 
memory  of  the  "  wound "  and  the  "  healing," 
which  he  thus  vainly  endeavored  to  perpetuate, 
is  forgotten,  but  it  could  never  have  been  more  touchingly 
appropriate  than  to  his  venerable  representative  in  the  New 
World. 

"  I  bear  a  wound  and  a  healing."  The  legend  of  the  Addison  arms 
has  its  origin  in  a  Saxon  superstition  that  a  wound  received  on  the 
field  of  battle  could  be  cured  by  the  weapon  that  inflicted  it. 


196  QSaftet  ©uPanp  dEl^^t0On. 

Mr.  Addison's  eyes  became  constantly  worse,  and  were  at 
last  operated  on  in  Philadelphia  by  Dr.  Physic,  without  suc- 
cess. As  soon  as  all  hope  of  their  restoration  was  removed, 
ihe  realized  that  he  must,  for  their  own  sakes,  tear  himself 
from  his  beloved  flock  and  from  the  church  which  was  the 
first  fruits  of  his  ministry  and  bound  to  his  heart  by  a  thou- 
sand ties.  He  was  not  yet  60  and  might  have  looked  for- 
ward to  many  years  of  happy  usefulness.  But  he  realized 
that  his  ministry  was  over  and  accepted  the  decree  (as  a 
friend  happily  expressed  it)  "  in  all  the  dignity  of  entire  sub- 
mission to  God's  will."  Very  touching,  however,  must  have 
been  the  parting  scene.  His  joyful  service  in  God's  sanctu- 
ary on  earth  was  ended,  and  when  the  final  benediction  (as 
their  pastor)  to  his  beloved  people  was  pronounced,  and  he 
went  out  from  them  into  the  darkness,  those  blessed  words 
doubtless  sank  deep  into  his  own  soul :  ''  The  peace  of  God 
that  passeth  understanding  keep  your  hearts  and  minds  in 
the  knowledge  and  love  of  God."  The  struggle  was  over. 
Henceforth  peace,  which  nothing  earthly  could  disturb,  filled 
his  heart  while  life  remained,  and  gave  a  radiance  to  his 
countenance  which  struck  all  who  saw  him.  But  even  after 
he  became  blind  he  continued  to  hold  occasional  services, 
and  when,  in  1830,  the  church  was  without  a  Rector,  Dr. 
Lindsey  tells  us,  although  entirely  blind,  he  officiated  for 
them  until  some  time  in  1831,  but  without  accepting  any  re- 
muneration. In  1830  his  daughter  writes:  ''Cousin  B.  tells 
me  that  you  continue  to  preach  in  your  old  church,  much  to 
the  satisfaction  of  a  large  and  attentive  congregation.  I 
pray  God  you  may  long  continue  to  be  useful  in  this  man- 
ner."    I  have  heard  that  he  has  been  known  to  go  through 


(I)ufnu6  Opemquc  ;^crc.  I97 

the  whole  service  depending  entirely  on  his  memory,  which 
was  extraordinarily  good.  Some  one  writing  at  that  time 
thus  speaks  of  him:  "  Looking  on  this  venerable  man,  with 
his  hoary  head  and  placid  countenance,  which  bears  the 
marks  of  chastening,  but  not  of  tumult  or  discontent,  his 
presence  seems  to  breathe  forth  the  eloquent  complaint  of 
the  blind  bard  of  '  Paradise  Lost ' : 

"Not  to  me  returns 
Day  with  the  sweet  approach  of  even  or  morn, 
Or  sight  of  vernal  bloom  or  summer  rose, 
Or  flocks  or  herds  or  human  face  divine, 
But  clouds  instead  and  ever  during  dark 
Surround  me,  from  the  cheerful  sight  of  men 
Cut  off,  and  for  the  book  of  knowledge  fair 
Presented  with  a  universal  blank, 
Fair  nature's  works  to  me  expunged,  erased, 
And  wisdom  at  one  entrance  quite  shut  out." 

I  will  add  here  a  few  lines  lately  received  from  a  dear 
friend  who  has  since  gone  to  join  him  in  "  that  happy 
place": 

"  There  was  no  appearance  of  blindness  in  those  piercing 
eyes,  so  that  I  was  surprised  when  told  that  Mr.  Addison 
was  sightless.  I  really  think  he  was  one  of  those  favored 
mortals  whose  resurrection  begins  in  this  world.  I  have  not 
seen  him  for  many  years,  but  with  that  same  face,  however 
glorified,  I  feel  sure  he  will  appear  in  Heaven,  for  it  was  the 
face  of  his  spirit.  I  have  imperfectly  tried  to  give  you  my 
impressions  of  your  sainted  grandfather,  whom  I  hope  to  see 
again  in  joy  and  felicity  in  the  Paradise  of  God." 

After  resigning  his  pastorship  in  Georgetown  he  retired 


198  (VOaiUv  'S)\iian^  cEi^teon. 

to  a  very  small  house  on  Capitol  Hill,  where  Bishop  Meade 
says  he  frequently  visited  him,  and  where  his  simple  wants 
were  provided  for  by  his  children,  who  appreciated  the  privi- 
lege of  being  permitted  to  do  so ;  but  to  one  whose  office  it 
had  been  "  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,"  the 
great  joy  of  whose  life  it  had  been  to  give  of  his  abundance, 
it  must  have  proved  a  strange  and  difficult  task  to  adjust 
himself  to  a  position  so  new.  He  has  been  heard  to  say 
(slightly  altering  St  Paul's  words):  "I  know  how  to  be 
abased,  and  I  have  known  how  to  abound."  This  was  the 
only  intimation  he  ever  gave  of  what  he  felt  on  this  subject. 
*'  No  one  ever  heard  him  repine,  and  with  regard  to  his 
blindness,  far  from  murmuring,  he  thanked  God  continually, 
because  it  was  '  so  much  better  to  be  blind  than  deaf.'  "  To 
a  man  whose  whole  life  had  been  spent  in  the  exercise  of  an 
almost  restless  energy,  the  transition  from  a  life  of  active 
service  to  one  of  quiet  contemplation  must  have  been  pecu- 
liarly difficult ;  but  he  knew  it  was  ordered  for  him  by  an  all- 
wise  and  tender  Father,  and  he  now  gave  his  whole  mind  to 
the  task  of  adapting  himself  to  that  new  life.  He  did  not 
doubt  that  it  had  its  blessings  and  its  privileges,  and  he 
would  not  fail  to  "  open  the  windows  of  his  soul "  to  receive 
them.  With  regard  to  the  work  he  had  so  loved,  he  felt 
with  Milton: 

"  God  doth  not  need  either  man's  work  or  His  own  gifts  ; 
Who  best  bears  His  mild  yoke,  they  serve  Him  best : 
They  also  serve  who  only  stand  and  wait." 

He  was  still  God's  consecrated  servant,  and  he  felt  that  his 
time  was  not  his  own.     In  this  waiting  service,  as  in  his 


(Pufnu0  Opemcjue  ^tvo,  199 

active  ministry,  he  most  carefully  arranged  his  hours  so  that 
no  minutes  should  be  lost.  A  favorite  maxim  with  him  was, 
"  It  is  better  to  live  by  rule  than  by  random."  Certain  hours 
w^ere  set  apart  for  devotion  (and  these  were  never  violated 
whether  at  home  or  on  a  visit  to  his  children  or  friends),  cer- 
tain hours  were  given  to  society  and  to  exercise,  or  to  teach- 
ing. One  of  his  favorite  tasks  was  the  education  of  a  little 
adopted  daughter,  whose  cleverness  gave  him  great  pleasure. 
He  loved  to  watch  and  to  guide  the  development  of  her 
mind.  At  five  he  began  to  teach  her  Latin,  and  at  seven 
Greek,  his  perfect  familiarity  with  these  languages  enabling 
him  to  do  so  without  a  book.  Often  in  the  Capitol  grounds 
in  sunny  weather  a  noticeable  pair  might  have  been  seen  en- 
joying the  sunshine  together  or  sitting  under  the  shade  of 
the  trees  in  the  beautiful  grounds — the  gay  child  and  the 
reverend  man  with  the  peaceful  face.  Often,  I  think,  they 
took  their  lessons  there.  One  lesson,  at  all  events,  she  was 
taught  there  one  day,  and  never  forgot.  They  had  returned 
from  their  walk  in  the  grounds,  on  a  very  warm  day,  a  little 
tired,  and  the  child  was  showing  to  a  companion,  with  great 
glee,  two  or  three  bright  pebbles  which  she  had  picked  up. 
My  grandfather  heard  the  exclamations  of  pleasure,  and  in- 
quired what  it  was  all  about.  "  It  is  a  pretty  pebble,  father, 
I  found  in  the  grounds."  "  But,  my  child,  do  you  not  see 
that  you  have  taken  away  what  does  not  belong  to  you?  Go 
directly  and  put  it  just  where  you  found  it,'  and  this  she  was 
compelled  to  do.  Referring  to  this  part  of  his  life,  Bishop 
Meade  says:  "  His  fine  estate,  extending  several  miles  along 
the  east  bank  of  the  river,  melted  away,  and  at  last  its  once 
wealthy  proprietor  was  reduced  to  penury ;  to  this  was  added 


200  (lJ)affcr  ©uPan^  cE^^teon. 

the  great  affliction  of  increasing  dimness  of  sight,  terminat- 
ing in  bhndness.  Both  these  evils  he  bore  with  exemplary 
resignation,  and  both  were  alleviated  by  ever}'  attention  and 
comfort  which  affection  could  bestow.  He  lived  to  a  good 
old  age,  loving  all  men  and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him,  to 
the  last,  the  happiest  and  most  grateful  of  all  the  happy  and 
grateful  ones  I  have  ever  seen  or  known.  In  my  visits  to- 
the  District  afterwards,  I  ever  felt  it  to  be  my  sacred  duty,  as 
it  was  my  highest  happiness,  to  enter  his  humble  dwelling. 
Such  was  the  man  of  God  with  whom  it  was  my  privilege  to 
spend  some  happy,  and  I  hope,  not  unprofitable  months." 

The  monotony  of  his  life  was  relieved  by  yearly  visits  ta 
his  children,  and  to  dear  friends  who  earnestly  coveted  the 
privilege  of  his  presence.  His  visits  to  Colebrook,  the  home 
of  his  sister-in-law,  INIrs.  John  Addison,  he  particularly  en- 
joyed; they  were  congenial  spirits,  and  the  intimacy  which 
had  begun  in  their  early  youth,  age  had  only  served  to 
strengthen.  Yer}-  pleasant  were  their  communings  together 
on  these  occasions.  Her  daughter,  ]\Iiss  Addison,  gives  this 
little  picture  of  these  visits :  "  Your  grandfather  would  occa- 
sionally make  a  visit  at  Colebrook  after  he  became  blind.  I 
think  of  him  oftenest  as  sitting  by  the  fireside,  with  my  dear 
mother,  who  loved  to  hear  him  discourse  on  religious  sub- 
jects, and  I  can  well  imagine  what  a  comfort  it  was  to  her,. 
who  was  not  so  cheerful  a  Christian  as  he.  I  remember  he 
was  fond  of  repeating  hymns,  ^^^atts'  particularly,  and  the 
lines  which  made  most  impression  on  me  were: 

"  Strange  that  a  harp  of  thousand  strings 
Should  keep  in  tune  so  long  " — 


(Pufnue  O^jemque  §tvo.  201 

alluding  to  our  frail  bodies.  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  remem- 
ber the  whole  verse.  On  one  of  his  visits  to  us,  Mary 
Shaaff  was  there  also;  she  had  always  known  him,  but  had 
never  been  thrown  so  intimately  with  him  before,  and  con- 
sequently was  surprised  and  delighted  with  him.  She  would 
kneel  by  his  side  and  listen  to  his  conversation,  while  he 
repeated  passages  from  Paradise  Lost.  How  interesting  it 
was  also  at  family  prayers  to  hear  him  repeat  passages  from 
the  Bible !  His  favorite  chapter  was  the  one  on  '  charity.' " 
Another  dear  friend  with  whom  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
passing  a  few  weeks  every  year  was  Mr.  S.  Ridout,  of  An- 
napolis, his  brother-in-law.  They  also  had  been  friends 
from  their  boyhood.  My  uncle  gives  the  following  descrip- 
tion of  him:  "  My  father  had  one  sister,  Mary,  who  married 
Mr.  Samuel  Ridout,  of  Annapolis,  one  of  the  best  of  men. 
He  was  educated  at  Harrow,  England,  and  with  his  grand- 
mother, Mrs.  Gov.  Ogle,  resided  several  years  in  France. 
My  uncle  was  a  man  of  the  most  genuine  and  unaffected 
piety;  a  fine  scholar,  and  with  his  mind  well  stored  with  gen- 
eral knowledge,  he  was  indeed  a  most  delightful  companion. 
He  abounded  in  anecdote,  and  the  incidents  and  stories  he 
would  relate  were  always  apropos  of  something  that  had 
been  said,  and  were  never  drawn  out  except  on  fit  occasions; 
then  not  to  excite  the  boisterous  laugh,  but  pleasant  smile; 
something  you  would  treasure  in  your  memory  to  be  called 
up  when  you  were  disposed  to  be  sad.  Your  grandfather 
and  he  were  fast  friends,  and  the  bonds  which  united  them 
in  life  were  severed  only  in  death.  He  was  mourned  for  by 
my  father,  not  as  lost,  but  gone  before.  Oh,  is  not  that  re- 
ligion worth  one  anxious  inquiry  which  keeps  us  cheerful 


202  (pDafter  ^uhrx^  M^^i&orx. 

and  happy  amidst  the  turmoils  and  ills  of  life,  its  cares  and 
sorrow?  What  can  riches  purchase  in  comparison  with  that 
peace  of  mind  which  is  the  good  man's  inheritance?" 

"  In  the  year  1846  his  youngest  son,  William  Meade,  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Girault,  of  Natchez,  a  very  lovely  woman,  and 
soon  after  went  to  housekeeping  in  Baltimore.  His  father 
and  mother  went  to  live  with  him,  taking  with  them  their 
adopted  daughter,  but  my  father  always  continued  his  an- 
nual visits  to  me.  My  wife  loved  him  with  great  tenderness, 
which  was  warmly  reciprocated,  and  these  visits  were  a 
source  of  great  gratification  to  her.  Children  were  his  de- 
light. I  ever  thought  he  loved  them  because  our  Saviour 
'  took  them  in  his  arms  and  blessed  them.'  As  we  have  be- 
fore said,  teaching  was  a  passion  with  him,  and  no  child  ever 
knew  him  but  to  love  him.  I  carved  letters  on  a  shingle, 
and  with  them  he  taught  my  children  the  alphabet.  They 
were  hardly  ever  too  young  to  begin  with.  He  would  com- 
mence with  '  this  is  your  hand,  this  is  your  nose,  this  is  your 
chin,'  and  so  on,  touching  the  part.  With  what  glee  would 
they  come  every  morning  to  say  the  old  lesson  and  learn  the 
new!  They  knew  the  hour,  for  he  was  very  methodical  and 
would  never  allow  one  duty  to  interfere  with  another.  He 
rose  early  always,  and  after  a  careful  toilet  and  his  private 
devotions,  he  had  a  habit  of  taking  several  glasses  of  water. 
After  breakfast  and  prayers  came  the  children's  hour.  He 
then  returned  to  his  closet,  and  at  twelve  took  his  walk.  As 
he  preferred  to  walk  alone,  I  had  white  stones  placed  at 
intervals  to  guide  his  steps,  as  he  could  distinguish  them  in 
the  bright  sunshine  and  it  gave  him  pleasure.  Then  came  a 
simple  lunch  of  fruit,  and  he  retired  again  to  his  room  until 


(r)ufnu5  Opemque  ^^vo.  203 

dinner;  after  which  we  enjoyed  his  conversation  on  the 
porch  with  the  family  around  him,  then  another  hour  of  re- 
tirement, another  walk  at  sunset,  supper,  and  conversation 
again  till  bedtime.  So  passed  his  well-ordered,  peaceful  and 
happy  life.  No  convent  rule  could  have  been  more  syste- 
matic. It  seemed  to  me  his  life  was  spent  in  prayers  and 
praise;  at  least  so  much  of  it  as  was  not  employed  in  the 
duties  he  owed  his  family  and  his  fellow-men.  How  many 
thousand  times,  when  he  thought  himself  alone,  have  I 
seen  his  lips  move  in  prayer,  knowing  this  from  his  manner. 
He  was  exceedingly  gentle  in  his  manner  and  kind  to  every 
one.  My  brother  William  mentions  his  '  quick  temper,' 
with  a  view  to  show  how  completely  he  was  influenced  by 
that  religion  which  it  was  his  happiness  to  inculcate.  In- 
deed, he  often  himself  asserted  that  it  had  been  his  chief 
difficulty  in  life;  but  had  we  not  been  told  by  our  father 
himself  we  could  not  have  imagined  that  the  angry  passions 
ever  ruffled  his  bosom,  but  that  an  eternal  calm  held  entire 
possession  and  governed  his  every  thought.  I  do  not  re- 
member that  I  ever  heard  him  give  way  to  one  unkind  or 
harsh  expression.  Should  not  that  religion  excite  our  ad- 
miration and  love  that  gives  such  mastery  over  our  passions 
and  which  brings  into  the  same  fold  the  lion  and  the  lamb? 
Always  cheerful,  though  stricken  with  years  and  bearing 
many  infirmities,  blindness  among  the  number,  grace  now 
fully  abounded  and  controlled  his  every  action.  His  tem- 
per was  unruffled,  when  under  its  natural  impulses  it  would 
have  been  tempest-tossed.  His  appetites  were  as  much  un- 
der his  control  as  his  passion;  his  only  intemperance  was  in 
cold  water;  the  tumbler  was  the  last  thing  at  night  and  the 


204  QJJafter  ®ufan^  ilb^teon. 

first  thing  in  the  morning  and  at  frequent  intervals  through- 
out the  day.  I  sometimes  feared  it  would  injure  him,  but 
the  habit  was  incurable  and  seemed  to  strengthen  with  his 
years.  I  have  seen  him  drain  the  glass  to  the  very  last  drop 
and  then  his  lips  would  move  in  thanksgiving." 

(Perhaps  old  Herbert's  words  were  in  his  thoughts: 

"  Not  that  we  may  not  here  taste  of  the  cheer, 
But  as  birds  drink  and  straight  lift  up  the  head, 
So  let  us  sip,  and  think  of  better  drink 
We  may  attain  to  after  we  are  dead.") 

"  I  have  now  given  you  the  outlines  of  your  grandfather's 
life  from  lisping  childhood  to  tottering  age,  and  as  we  trace 
his  life  through  each  gradation  we  ever  find  him  toiling  in 
the  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  Now  as  a  youth  on  shipboard, 
with  kind  words  and  religious  books  endeavoring  to  comfort 
a  poor  sailor.  Again  we  see  him  in  the  humble  cottages  of 
the  poor,  elevating  hope  and  giving  comfort  in  the  hour  of 
death  by  the  assurances  of  Holy  Writ.  At  another  time  he 
is  striving  to  prevent  the  shedding  of  blood,  and  for  that 
purpose  following  parties  to  the  duelling  ground.  We. see 
him  by  the  wayside,  striving  still  to  do  good,  returning  from 
his  daily  toils  with  a  heart  teeming  with  love  for  his  fellow- 
men,  and  overflowing  with  gratitude  to  God  for  His  infinite 
mercies,  and  when  stricken  with  blindness  and  poor,  bless- 
ing his  Maker  that  He  had  spared  his  hearing  and  given  him 
shelter  for  his  head. 

"  Your  grandfather,  my  children,  considered  riches  a 
blessing  or  a  curse ;  a  blessing  when  they  were  used  tempor- 
arily to   supply   our  wants   and   comforts   and   when   they 


(PuCnu0  ^ptm(\ut  ^tvo.  205 

afforded  us  the  opportunity  of  helping  the  needy.  Further 
-than  this,  he  esteemed  them  worse  than  dross.  Had  he 
been  as  most  men,  studious  of  gain,  he  might  have  looked 
from  his  window  on  well-stored  garners  and  left  his  children 
rich.  But  think  you  that  these  things  would  have  calmed 
his  last  moments,  or  eased  a  dying  pang,  or  given  the  peace 
and  cheerfulness  which  filled  his  heart  while  reason  re- 
mained? No,  certainly  not.  He  was  impulsive  by  nature, 
quick,  irascible,  as  was  acknowledged  by  himself.  What  a 
beautiful  commentary  is  this  upon  our  holy  religion,  that 
from  such  elements  could  come  so  much  meekness  and  hu- 
mility, so  much  that  was  lovely  and  lovable." 

"It  has  been  pleasant  to  follow  him  step  by  step  in  life; 
now,  at  the  close,  we  must  brush  away  the  tears  and  follow 
him  yet  a  step  further,  and  then  my  pen  will  have  completed 
its  task." 


CHAPTER  XVIL 

THE    END. 

"  Then  came  forth  a  summons  for  Mr.  Standfast,  and  the  Post  brought 
it  to  him  open  in  his  hand  ;  the   contents  whereof  were,  that  he  must 
prepare  for  a  change,  for  his  Master  was  not  willing  that  he  should  be 
so  far  from  Him  any  longer." — Pilgrim'' s  Progress. 
•> 

"■^. 

'HE  particulars  of  this  holy  man's  last  illness  and 
^^)  death  are  given  in  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Allen 
by  his  son,  William  ■Meade  Addison.  Mr.  Allen 
had  himself  visited  him  a  few  days  before  his 
death  and  thus  writes:  "  Mr.  Addison  was  a  man  of  the  most 
unwavering  faith.  His  confidence  in  God  was  the  anchor  of  his 
soul.  We  shall  never  forget  his  beautiful  and  impressive 
words  in  a  conversation  with  him  just  before  his  death. 
Speaking  of  the  faith  exhibited  by  one  of  our  old  bishops, 
he  quoted  the  words:  '  If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard 
seed,  ye  shall  remove  mountains.'  '  Yes,'  said  he,  *  as  a 
grain  of  mustard  seed,'  how  small  the  cause;  '  Mountains  of 
difficulty,'  how  wonderful  the  results!" 

The  letter  of  Mr.  Addison  above  referred  to  is  in  the  fol- 
lowing words: 

Baltimore,  Feb.  20th,  1848. 
Rev.  and  Dear  Sir  : 

As  you  have  requested  me,  and  I  promised,  I  now  give 
you  some  account  of  the  last  illness  of  my  father.     On  the 


^6e  6n^.  207 

morning  of  October  19th,  1847,  he  had  a  very  remarkable 
dream,  which  he  regarded  as  an  admonition  of  approaching 
death ;  some  weeks  elapsed  and  we  began  to  see  that  he  was 
failing  in  strength — he  was  an  early  riser  and  generally  in 
the  breakfast  room  in  advance  of  the  hour  for  prayers;  he 
was  observed  to  get  down  later  than  usual,  although  he  rose 
earlier  than  formerly,  and  at  last  it  became  necessary  for  his 
convenience  to  postpone  the  breakfast  hour.  He  had  now 
become  so  feeble  that  we  were  obliged  to  assist  him  from 
his  knees,  but  he  still  preserved  all  his  usual  cheerfulness. 
In  a  few  wrecks  more  he  had  given  up  family  worship  in  the 
morning  and  remained  in  his  own  room,  until  the  afternoon. 
His  failure  was  now  very  rapid,  though  he  had  no  pain  and 
made  no  complaint.  He  knew  his  end  was  approaching, 
and  advanced  to  meet  it  with  a  composure  which  showed  he 
was  about  to  enter  a  scene  for  which  he  was  prepared.  There 
was  no  hurry  or  excitement,  no  abstraction,  no  separation 
of  himself  from  his  family.  He  might  be  compared  to  one 
going  on  an  important  journey,  to  which  he  had  been  look- 
ing forward  for  a  long  time  and  for  which  he  had  made 
every  preparation.  There  was  no  change  in  his  manner 
indicating  that  he  had  anything  to  do  which  all  his  life  he 
had  not  been  doing;  the  task  had  not  been  neglected  until 
the  evening-time  warned  the  laborer  that  the  hours  of  work 
were  drawing  to  a  close  and  double  exertions  were  to  be 
made  to  repair  the  idleness  of  the  morning.  The  morning 
had  witnessed  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  noon  saw  him  at  his 
toil,  and  evening  found  him  still  calmly  at  his  labor.  What  I 
wish  to  convey  to  you  is  the  composure  of  mind  of  this  man 
of  God;  while  there  was  no  ecstasy  on  the  one  hand,  there 


2o8  (^af^ev  ©ufanj  il^^ieom 

was  no  fear  on  the  other,  but  such  a  seriousness  of  deport- 
ment as  became  a  man  who  felt  he  was  a  pardoned  sinner 
going  to  receive  mercy,  not  reward,  which  well  became  the 
man  who,  when  asked  a  few  davs  before  his  death  if  he  relied 
on  the  merits  of  his  own  works  for  salvation,  replied,  "  They 
are  not  worth  a  straw;  my  only  hope  is  in  the  merits  and 
blood  of  Christ,  through  whom  alone  (laying  his  hand  on  his 
heart)  my  peace  is  made  with  God."  Several  times  in  his  last 
days  he  laid  his  hand  on  his  heart,  and  said,  "  All  is  peace 
here  with  God  and  man." 

About  twenty  days  before  his  death  his  illness  took  an 
acute  form,  and  till  his  death  he  suffered  agony  the  most 
intense,  borne  with  resignation  the  most  perfect;  no  mur- 
mur escaped  his  lips,  not  even  a  groan.  Until  the  day  pre- 
ceding his  death  he  retained  his  faculties  unimpaired.  In- 
deed, towards  the  last  his  mind  seemed  to  invigorate,  and 
never  shall  I  forget  his  deathbed  sermon  to  a  young  friend  a 
day  or  two  before  his  death.  He  told  her  what  was  often 
mistaken  for  religion,  but  was  not  religion,  and  warned  her 
against  a  mistake  on  that  point.  Then  he  told  what  religion 
was,  its  rewards  and  the  proof  that  we  have  it.  He  then  con- 
cluded with  beseeching  her  to  shun  the  fashionable  amuse- 
ments of  the  time,  as  destructive  to  the  growth  of  genuine 
piety.  That  was  a  day  or  two  before  his  death,  and  proba- 
bly occupied  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  and  was  pronounced 
with  earnestness  and  with  a  strength  of  voice  which  surprised 
us  all.  His  whole  heart  was  in  his  discourse,  and  he  did  not 
cease  till  his  voice  died  away  to  a  whisper.  I  thought  then 
I  had  never  heard  so  much  compressed  in  so  small  a  com- 
pass.    I  think  so  still.     I  never  stood  by  a  Christian's  death- 


ZU  (Bnb.  209 

bed  till  then,  or  heard  a  sermon  from  a  dying  man.  The 
occasion  can  never  be  forgotten  by  any  who  were  present. 
In  reply  to  a  question  put  by  Dr.  Wyatt,  with  a  view  to  dis- 
cover if  he  was  willing  to  depart,  he  answered,  "  Thy  will  be 
done,  whether  it  be  to  live  or  die."  On  another  occasion  he 
replied  the  same  thing,  and  said  he  did  not  permit  himself  to 
have  any  wish  on  the  subject.  His  watchword  through  life 
was  "  Thy  will  be  done,"  not  merely  that,  but  that  "  Thy  will 
may  be  my  will."  He  was  suffering  great  pain,  and  the 
question  was  put,  "  Though  you  are  willing  to  die,  are  you 
willing  to  live  in  your  present  suflferings  for  years?"  There 
was  no  answer.  I  could  not  rest  in  doubt,  and  the  ques- 
tion was  repeated.  After  a  short  pause,  in  which  he  seemed 
to  be  questioning  and  cross-questioning  his  heart,  he  replied 
with  equal,  if  not  greater,  emphasis  than  before,  "  In  that 
case  I  still  say  '  Thy  will  be  done.' "  He  repeatedly  en- 
deavored to  prepare  us  for  the  bereavement  his  death  would 
occasion,  by  urging  every  consideration  which  could  .recon- 
cile us  to  his  departure,  and  with  the  utmost  composure 
designated  the  spot  which  he  had  selected  40  years  before 
for  his  burial.  In  the  summer  of  1847  ^e  told  me  that  as 
the  time  of  his  death  approached  he  felt  like  the  patriarchs  of 
old,  who  had  their  bodies  deposited  where  their  forefathers 
slept,  "  and  when  I  die,"  said  he,  "  bury  me  at  Oxon  Hill." 
He  was  blind  for  twenty-one  years,  and  being  a  student  from 
his  boyhood,  you  can  imagine  that  his  loss  was  the  greater 
on  that  account.  I  never  heard  him  murmur  at  his  loss;  on 
the  contrary,  he  delighted  in  expatiating  on  the  blessings 
that  were  left  him.  Only  a  few  days  before  his  death  he 
repeatedly  said,  "  I  have  had  a  hundred  bright  days  for  one 


2IO  (JOafter  <3}uPan^  iltbieon. 

dark  one."  I  never  saw  any  display  of  temper  but  once,  and 
that  was  years  ag-o,  and  then  the  flash  in  his  eye  was  Uke 
heaven's  electricity — the  lightning  flash  which  we  see  on  the 
horizon  without  rumbling  or  sound ;  not  a  word  was  spoken, 
and  in  an  instant  all  was  quiet  and  serene.  He  was  believed 
to  be  a  man  of  great  gentleness  of  temper.  This  was  a  mis- 
take; his  temper  was  naturally  quick.  By  grace  he  con- 
quered it.  I  should  suppose  he  was  naturally  disposed  to 
husband  his  means;  by  grace  he  threw  with  both  hands  his 
bread  upon  the  water.  It  returned  to  him  in  this  life  ten- 
fold in  the  form  of  contentment  and  unfaltering  reliance  upon 
Providence,  and  it  will  return  to  him  a  thousandfold  here- 
after. Though  chastised  by  almost  every  form  of  affliction, 
I  never  saw  him  dejected;  though  blind  and  almost  helpless, 
I  never  saw  him  idle.  His  labors  were  as  regular  as  those 
of  the  plowman  who  goes  to  his  work  for  his  daily  bread. 
The  mornings  were  mostly  spent  in  sacred  reading;  to  hours 
thus  consecrated  he  was  indebted  for  his  extensive  know- 
ledge of  Holy  Scripture  and  of  the  poets  who  have  sung  on 
sacred  themes.  A  few  days  before  his  death,  the  sole  rem- 
nant of  his  fortune,  consisting  of  a  very  few  books,  was  dis-- 
tributed  among  his  friends.  They  were,  so  to  speak,  the 
armor  of  a  wornout  warrior  whose  warfare  was  over.  Here 
was  the  first  Prayer  Book  he  ever  owned,  then  his  first  Testa- 
ment, there  were  Watts,  and  Bunyan,  Milton,  and  his  favorite 
Young,  and  a  few  Latin  and  Greek  books — the  companions 
of  hours  not  devoted  to  sacred  duties  and  pleasures. 

He  breathed  his  last  on  Sunday  morning,  January  31st, 
1848,  in  one  and  the  same  moment  a  suffering  sinner  here 
and  a  glorified   saint  there."     At  the  request  of  the   Rev. 


Dr.  Wyatt,  his  remains  were  carried  to  Old  St.  Paul's  when 
the  services  of  the  day  were  over,  and  laid  in  front  of  the  chan- 
cel. At  a  late  hour  my  uncle  visited  the  church,  and  as  he 
entered  the  dimly  lighted  aisle  he  saw  the  venerable  figure  of 
the  Rector  standing-  beside  the  cofhn.  He  had  come  to  bid 
a  last  farewell  to  his  aged  friend  and  brother.  The  next 
morning  a  sorrowful  little  company  followed  him  to  his  last 
resting-place  beside  the  wife  of  his  youth. 

From  a  beautiful  tribute  to  his  memory,  written  by  an 
unknown  hand  for  the  '*  Southern  Churchman,"  I  copy  the 
following:  "According  to  his  wish,  he  was  buried  at  Oxon 
Hill,  the  home  of  his  youth,  where  his  ancestors  have  been 
laid  to  rest  before  him.  There  he  now  lies  beneath  the  aged 
trees  which  had  perhaps  shaded  his  childish  sports,  almost 
within  sound  of  the  gentle,  murmuring  Potomac.  If  in  that 
unseen  country  where  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect 
await  their  final  reward,  the  tie  of  kindred  blood  unites  still 
more  closely  souls  already  congenial  in  Christ,  and  is  recog- 
nized, as  we  are  glad  to  believe  most  probable,  it  is  pleasant 
to  think  of  a  meeting  between  two  so  lovely  and  pleasant  in 
their  lives,  who  did  so  much  good,  each  in  his  own  appointed 
way,  as  Joseph  Addison  the  writer  and  Walter  Addison  the 
Christian  minister. 

"  Behold  fast  streaming  from  the  tree, 
His  all-atoning  blood  : 
Is  this  the  Infinite  ?     'Tis  He  : 
My  Saviour  and  my  God. 

For  me  these  pangs  His  soul  assail, 

For  me  this  death  is  borne, 
My  sins  gave  sharpness  to  the  nail, 

And  pointed  every  thorn." 


212  (Rafter  ^xxhn^  ilbbteon. 

"  Thus  with  a  sincerity  that  none  can  doubt  wrote 
Joseph  Addison,  'the  most  poHshed  essayist,  the  most 
scholarly  critic,  the  most  genial,  delicate  humorist  of  his 
time ' ;  and  the  spirit  of  the  verses  we  have  quoted,  breathing 
in  lovely  humility  through  the  whole  life  of  another  Addison 
(who  more  than  a  century  later  reflected  no  less  honor  on  the 
name)  was  such  as  must  draw  soul  to  soul,  when,  freed  from 
bodily  pain  and  toil,  beyond  the  shores  of  Time,  they  meet 
and  know  each  other." 

This  pleasant  association  of  the  name  of  Joseph  Addison 
with  that  of  the  subject  of  this  little  memoir  suggests  a  com- 
parison between  these  two  men,  in  most  respects  so  unlike, 
and  yet  possessing  some  qualities  in  common. 

Great  modesty  and  calmness,  wifh  a  natural  cheerfulness 
of  temperament,  were  striking  characteristics  of  them  both. 
Though  in  a  different  measure,  both  were  devout  men,  "  full 
of  love  and  awe  of  Him  who  made  them,  and  of  kindliness 
and  goodwill  to  all  His  creatures."  Both  led  beneficent 
lives,  though  the  influence  of  one  was  almost  world-wide, 
while  that  of  the  other  was  circumscribed  by  narrower 
bounds.  They  were  both  eminently  successful  men,  for 
each  attained  in  a  remarkable  degree  the  aim  for  which  he 
lived;  but  the  aims  were  different,  and  a  more  striking  con- 
trast can  scarcely  be  imagined  than  between  the  career  of 
Joseph  Addison,  the  brilliant  man  of  the  World,  on  whom 
society  lavished  its  honors  and  rewards,  for  whom,  says 
Thackeray,  "all  the  laurels  of  Europe  were  scarcely  sufifi- 
cient,"  and  Walter  Addison,  the  man  of  God,  asking  nothing 
of  the  World  and  receiving  nothing,  desiring  neither  its  ad- 
miration nor  its  applause.     Zealously  and  diligently  fulfilling 


Z^c  6ni.  213 

the  duties  of  his  holy  calHng  as  long  as  he  was  permitted  to 
exercise  it,  and  then  giving  himself  to  the  cultivation  of 
those  difficult  and  despised  virtues  of  Patience,  Humility, 
Meekness  and  Self-denial.  Often  misunderstood,  and  only 
thoroughly  appreciated  by  those  most  nearly  associated  with 
him,  yet  it  seems  to  me  that  this  life,  if  we  measure  it  by  the 
noblest  standard  ever  presented  to  human  aspiration,  was 
assuredly  the  nearest  to  that  ideal.  Perhaps  no  one  would 
have  been  more  ready  to  acknowledge  this  than  Joseph  Ad- 
dison himself  in  his  later  days.  They  had  different  gifts, 
and  different  missions  were  assigned  to  them. 

The  one  mingled  freely  with  the  world,  accepting  all  that  it 
had  to  offer,  yet  without  being  corrupted  by  it;  on  the  con- 
trary, exerting  a  purifying  influence  on  the  society  in  which 
he  moved  and  on  the  literature  of  his  country,  the  effect  of 
which  is  felt  to-day  wherever  the  English  tongue  is  known. 

The  other  let  go  all  that  was  his,  that  he  might  lay  hold 
more  firmly  on  eternal  life,  finding,  according  to  our  Lord's 
own  words,  **  Manifold  more  in  this  present  life,  and  in  the 
world  to  come  life  everlasting."  He  sought  and  attained  the 
true  "  secret  of  a  happy  life,"  that  life  which  is  so  near  to  us 
all  and  is  yet  found  by  so  few,  a  secret  which  enabled  him  to 
say  when  the  storms  of  a  long  life  were  ending,  "  I  have  had 
a  hundred  bright  days  for  one  dark  one."  "  Bright,"  surely 
not  with  earthly  brightness,  but  with  the  light  of  God's 
countenance  shining  upon  him. 

With  regret  I  feel  that  my  task  is  ended ;  but  a  friend  has 
sent  me  a  tribute  to  his  worth  by  Bishop  Whittingham, 
which  was  read  before  the  Convention  of  1848  and  preserved 
by  her.  It  will,  I  think,  be  an  appropriate  ending  to  this 
little  memorial  of  a  good  man's  life. 


214  (JDaftcr  ©ufanp  il^bteon. 

Extract  frcnn  Bishop  W hitting  ham  s  address  to  the 
Convention,  June  ist,  1848. 

Brethren  of  the  Clergy  and  Laity : 

"  We  meet  not  again  this  year  as  last  with  the  number  of 
those  who  labor  in  the  word  and  doctrine  undiminished. 
Thankfulness  for  that  blessing  is  to  be  exchanged  for  a 
higher  privilege — the  recognition  of  mercy  displayed  to  a 
venerable  departed  brother  throughout  a  long  life  of  faithful 
obedience,  and  in  a  consistent  death,  calmly  peaceful,  in  the 
full  assurance  of  a  religious  and  holy  life. 

Our  late  senior  Presbyter,  the  Rev.  Walter  Dulany  Addi- 
son, has  been  taken  from  us,  full  of  days  and  of  the  fruits  of 
faith.  Among  the  first,  if  not  the  very  first,  admitted  to  Holy 
Orders  by  the  first  Bishop  of  this  diocese,  his  continuance 
with  us  was  a  link  of  the  present  to  the  pasi  which  we  could 
ill  afford  to  lose.  Although  for  some  years  past  unable  to 
be  present  with  us  in  the  body,  he  was  never  absent  from  us 
in  spirit  on  these  annually  recurring  occasions  ot  assemblage 
to  take  counsel  together  for  the  work  of  the  Lord.  His 
prayers  co-operated  with  the  efforts  of  his  brethren  to  pre- 
serve the  peace  and  purity  of  the  household  of  faith,  to  keep 
men  in  the  good  old  paths  in  which  the  fathers  trod,  and  to 
bring  to  the  blessed  unity  of  the  Spirit  those  whom  ignor- 
ance, prejudice  or  error  had  led  astray,  or  sin  was  making 
willing  captives  of  the  enemy.  A  more  earnest,  faithful 
laborer  in  the  holy  cause  we  never  had,  so  long  as  he  was 
permitted  to  fulfil  the  active  duties  of  the  ministry ;  and  when 
his  Master  suffered  the  infirmities  of  age  to  disqualify  him 
for  those  toils,  as  warm  a  heart  as  ever,  still  beat  true  to  the 


Zic  enb.  215 

claims  of  the  Lord's  own  heritage  on  his  love  and  care. 
Childlike  simplicity  of  faith  and  love  characterized  him  in  all 
the  many  vicissitudes  of  his  long  career.  He  was  eminently 
single-hearted.  Long  may  his  example  of  Godly  sincerity 
and  quietness  be  remembered  among  us  and  taken  as  a 
model.  Long  may  the  fragrance  of  his  name  continue  to 
refresh  us." 


FINIS. 


—  -< 


o 

Q 
Q 
< 


O 

CO 

Q 
Q 

■< 

O 


LJ    o 


O 

UJ 
UJ 

q: 

UJ 
Q- 


13 
•< 


E 
o 


a- 

CO 


O) 

I- 

w 
O 


c 
o 


-h- 

3>  4^    CO 
O    C    O    0) 

_ico  E-" 

—    •  =  c 
♦^  Qi  -C  -  — 

c  ;   CO    »- 

I     0)    O    O    O 
I    CDOQ-O 

w 

I    o  ♦'     ■  — ;  -^ 

C    crt  "D  ^   ♦- 

'    «3    —    ct    m  ^ 

icSlMIIIII 


r 


c 

0) 

X 


c 
o 

c 


c 
Q 

u 

«) 


E 

c 
3 


o 

c 


C 

o 


o  ! 
>^  c 
o  c 

0)     .  . 


c/) 


5  ^ 

O    (U 
CD 


E 

CO 


<»    m 

rt 

-^-t3 

u 

M 

o 

TO    +- 

0) 

H   If 

J3 

E  —   =^> 

-J  cj  iz>  o 
^     .  cn^ 

w  "O    O  >«- 
-   (M    r^  O 


(0 


C( 


nil 


CO  ID 

E 

i  E 

^  :§ 


c 
o 

V) 

c 


-  o 

c 

®     3 
3-U 


'^  E 
llco 

k. 
o 
c 
eS 

UJ 


x:   ^ 

o  - 

—J    - 

VD 

*^ 
Q. 

CO 


c  i 

C  i 

^  I 

c/) 


C6 

E 
o 


—  (J 

<a  o 

->  c 

« 


c 


u 
o 

-a 


E 


(D 

o 

3 

o 

CD 


> 


CO 

c 


03 


C  c:   CO   QJ) 
I' 


CO 


>,       u 
c        o 

O  11  -o 

♦^    '  '     3 


DC 

r^  3 

I    "^ 
'    If)  rt 

u 

U     O 

Q  X> 

l:Oc 

1^ 

o 

Si. 

> 
O 


c 
o 

CO 

'-X2 

-a 

-< 

>^ 

li 

« 

o 

o 

<D 
J3 

lU 

QC 


C3^ 


E^. 


i-± 


"-  QC 

^'e 

CO    rs 
5CO 


o_i 

—>    . 

CO 


>>   (J^  CO 


5X 


J5 

3 

Q 
lo 


CO 


r  "* 

E 

. 

o 

c 

^ 

o 

\- 

(O 

c 

CO 

X 

E  J  cr 
o  1 

j=  I  — 

3 

E 

CO 


Q. 

«3 


-sil 


CD 

c 


CO 

-it 
o 

CO 


I     CO 

^<5 


J^ife.  and  tiii-K^s   o^    Rev.  WdHr^-r 


bRimEoouot. 

PHOTOCOPY 


"""EB5;",aSl       ^6-9/ 


(%%\  s^  77 


